Classicists Build Things

When we asked our readers to share classical crafts they’ve made to feature in an Eidolon Crafting Special, we never could have expected such a huge turnout! We’ve compiled creative pieces from our tight-knit (pun intended) community in a series of posts. In this post, we highlight constructed crafts; photos and blurbs feature here, along with links to the full texts of artists’ descriptions. We hope these inspire others to go out and create some classical masterpieces of their own!

Pride Thyrsus by Tychon (the Ancient Geeko-Roman)

… The reason I came up with the Pride Thyrsus is that Pride Month was coming up and many people in the LGBTQ+ community identify with Dionysus, so I found it fitting to alter the way the thyrsus was depicted in antiquity … Although the Pride Thyrsus did spark some debate about the queerness of Dionysus, the overall reaction to the Pride Thyrsus has been overwhelmingly positive. Click here to read more

Silicone Chocolate Molds by @empiricalonly

… While the process itself was really simple in theory, in practice it was finicky, exhausting, and unbelievably messy. You have about 15 minutes from when you mix the silicone to when it cures and can’t be worked, so it gets tense. I ended up making several different coins using things like a janky owl statuette I got in Athens, a janky Roman helmet I got in Italy, and a janky Alexander coin repro a friend got in Greece. I also hand molded some hearts and the letters A, M, O, R, and Ε, Ρ, Ο, Σ on individual coins. Click here to read more

Classical Ceramics, by Kris Ehrhardt

… our final assignment — to work some aspect of our own identities into a historically-inflected object was in my wheel house: I created a series of “VanHisedic figurines.” Named after their findspot, the 18 story, asbestos-filled monstrosity that houses all the language programs at Madison, the figurines are a mash up of Cycladic figurines and grad student postures. The four figurines, glazed in a metallic bronze are a long-nosed, bespectacled me in four poses — sitting next to a table piled high with books, in a seated fetal position, clutching a book, and holding my head.

… Last spring, I led a study tour of Greece that included a pottery workshop — I carried 30lbs of leftover clay home in my backpack (not recommended!) and used it to make votive ears for the students, a number of planters, and game pieces for the Athens game (alpha and omega voting ballots and dice). Click here to read more

Jewelry, Dolls, and 3D Crafts by Nykki Nowbahar

… I’ve learned to use Microsoft Excel to produce patterns by filling in each rectangle with a different color of my desired pattern. By looking at patterns that border designs of Greek vases, I’ve drafted patterns of my own for two bracelets that I’ve created thus far. Using Excel is a time-consuming process to create patterns, but the special care taken to plan the color and placement of each bead brings me a greater sense of familiarity for shapes and angles appearing on the vase. Click here to read more

Mosaic Crafting by Nathalie Roy (and her students!)

My Roman Technology middle school classes study the ancient classical world through hands-on, collaborative crafting … Our culminating project last school year was a mosaic sundial.Thus, the students focused on learning the craft of stone-cutting and mosaic design. Each student learned to cut marble tesserae with mosaic hammers and hardies (stone-cutting wedges). By watching online videos of expert Roman mosaicist Lawrence Payne @RomanMosaics, with lots of practice, they were each able to cut enough stone to create one piece of the sundial. Click here to read more

Lego Roman Villa by Anthony Gibbons

… The next step — after applying some finishing touches — is to create some resources to go with the model. I’d like to write some Latin stories illustrated with pictures of the villa, but most of all I’d like to create resources that allow for Latin play and conversation using the home. I once spent thirty minutes with a friend moving figures between rooms and announcing — in Latin — the scene we had created. Claudia aquam portat. Marcus in culina coquit. statua Veneris in horto stat. Claudia et Marcus lares laudant. feles murem sub scala vexat. It was iucundissimum! Click here to read more

Polychrome replicas of the Gorgoneion and Parthenon Frieze, by Kira Jones

… The Parthenon Project was initiated by Bonna Wescoat, but I was brought on because of the gorgoneion above (as well as cosplay experience). There’s a whole video here but suffice to say that my job was to create a 3D model of two frieze blocks, one white and one coloured, to compare with Rebecca Levitan’s 2D panels. We used my projection technique, and I proceeded to cut the shapes out of foam board insulation. Those were glued to another board, then primed and coated with a plaster/glue mix. Cheese cloth was used for fabric details. They were then painted and hung on the Parthenon in Nashville. I had no experience making things out of foam board, but Emory Theatre was kind enough to give me a quick tutorial. Youtube taught me the rest. Click here to read more

Teaching with Legos, by Caroline Schroeder

… I initially worried the activity would be frivolous. Legos are “toys.” Buiding with Legos is “play” not “work.”

I couldn’t have been more wrong. As I wandered the room, I heard students discussing the shapes of the pylons, the best way to use their bricks to create obelisks, where to place the sacred lake, and how to make their hypostyle halls resemble papyrus and lotus reeds. How do you create a street lined with rams-headed sphinxes when all you have are little plastic pieces? …

We historians of the ancient world sometimes get caught up in the primacy of historical accuracy. Legos can never accurately represent a historical site. Students had to negotiate between the their vision of a temple (based on site plans in their books, photographs of the reconstructed ruins, 3d renderings on Digital Karnak) and the practicalities of the little plastic bricks. The limits of Lego forced them to think about which features they wanted to emphasize, and which they were willing to let go. Click here to read more