Grave Stele of Kallistrate

Modeled after the form of a miniature temple ("naiskos"), this funerary monument, called a stele, once marked the grave of a woman named Kallistrate. Such monuments were common in Athens. This one captures the deceased in contemplative, somber, yet serene poses. Here Kallistrate, whose name has been inscribed on the lintel above her head, looks down at a necklace of amphora-shaped beads, which may have been a prized possession. The necklace may also allude to the dowry or bride price her father would have paid upon her marriage. Perhaps she died before ceremony and contemplates the necklace as a symbol of the life she would never have. Her elegant attire, earring, and hairstyle attest to her high status and the wealth of family who commissioned such a marker.