The Red Figure Pelike with an Actor Dressed as a Bird is a ceramic vessel from the Attic region of Greece that is dated to between 430–420 BC. It is decorated using the red-figure technique and depicts a continuous scene from Greek old comedy. This vessel is currently housed in the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Due to compositional and stylistic similarities, the Red Figure Pelike with an Actor Dressed as a Bird is often compared to a calyx-krater that was previously housed in the J. Paul Getty Museum until it was returned to the Italian Ministry of Culture in 2007. Description Vessel type While the historical term for two-handled vases with a large, bulbous bodies, such as this one, remains unknown, the term pelike (pl. pelikai) is generally used to refer to such vessels today. These vessels were used to store various liquids, such as wine and oil. It is highly likely that this specific pelike was once used as a wine container, as theatrical scenes primarily appear on vessels that relate specifically to wine consumption, such as kraters and oenochoai. Both the fact that Dionysus was the Greek god of both wine and theater, and the understanding that inebriation allowed individuals to lose their inhibitions and adopt new guises, similar to how actors assume various roles, help explain this common artistic practice. Figural composition On one side of the vase, an actor is depicted in a twisted and active pose with his left leg lifted in the air. He appears to be taking a large step forward. He wears tights that cover the bulk of his body and are decorated with black dots. These spots recall depictions of animal pelts. The actor also wears high, soft boots called kothornoi, each of which has a phallus attached to its heal. On top of his bodysuit, the actor wears shorts. These also have an attached phallus as well as an attached bird tail. The actor's bird costume is completed by a set of wings and a bird mask. Based on the design of the actor's mask, which includes a comb and wattle, and the phalli that are attached to the actor's boots like spurs, it can be assumed that this actor is meant to represent a rooster. The theatrical space on this vessel is further denoted through the use of two broken meander patterns. The