Wednesday 14 February 2024 at 6pm
Via Garibaldi 31
The lecture will be held in English
Locus Ludi: Toys and the Fabric of Classical Antiquity
Prof. Véronique Dasen
University of Fribourg
Hundreds of scenes of play enliven Attic and Italiote vases for almost two centuries, from the middle of the 6th century to the end of the 4th century BCE. A wide range of playful activities involves toys – balls, hoops, spinning tops, dolls – that shed new light on the dynamics of Greek society, its norms, values, and imagination. The painters use toys metaphorically to speak of youth, love, and life passages, with a particular relationship to emotion, luck, and risk.
Bio
Professor in Classical Archaeology and Art History, Fribourg University-CH, associate member of the ANHIMa center in Paris, specialised in cultural history. Her approach is multidisciplinary and anthropological, focusing on the discourse of images and material culture to shed light on different facets of Antiquity in dialogue with other historical periods. For many years now, she has been exploring two main areas of research: the history of the body and of medical and magical practices, and the history of gender and children. She led a 5-year ERC advancaed Grant project Locus Ludi. The Cultural Fabric of Greek and Roman Antiquity.
To attend this lecture, please fill out the registration form.
The conference will be recorded and available later on the Institute’s YouTube channel.
