Greek
paired heads

What “janiform” means

“Janiform” describes heads arranged back to back. Although the term derives from Janus, Greek paired-head vessels do not necessarily represent the Roman god.

Greek vessels and contrasting identities

Athenian potters made paired-head vessels by the end of the sixth century BC. Examples combine a satyr and a woman, Herakles and Omphale, or two female heads. The pairings give different identities a shared sculptural form.

Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, on the Athenian tradition and its Etruscan adaptations.

A vessel used and turned

A kantharos is a wine cup with high handles, used in the symposium, the ancient drinking gathering. Turning a paired-head cup brings its second face into view. Its function makes movement part of the experience of the object.

Source: Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, janiform head-kantharos from Akanthos.

A form is not a genealogy

These vessels provide a precedent for joining two heads in one object. In Janus of Love, Petrides joins two versions of the same female portrait, giving each a different expression.