Hollywood salutes with "Oscars"-- Rome also hailed favorite actors

ANCIENT ROME HAILED FAVORITE ACTORS
Los Angeles Times
California Classroom
March 11 2003

"And the Oscar goes to ... "

In ancient Rome and Greece, people loved the theater as much as we enjoy movies today. They even had a system for recognizing favorite performances. Each year they cast their votes for best play. Acting was one of the most celebrated professions. But instead of winning a statuette, actors were awarded a special laurel wreath. And if people in the audience really liked a performer, they would snap their fingers in appreciation rather than applaud.

The bronze "thymiaterion" (incense burner) pictured below was made almost 2,000 years ago in ancient Rome. It shows an actor in a servant's costume, sitting on an altar. He is wearing a comic mask that has a giant mouth and silver eyes. Actors usually wore these strongly featured masks to make it easier for people to see facial expressions. The large mouth carried the actor's voice to the back of the theater so people could hear what was being said.

How did the incense burner work? The figure is not one piece but two. The top of the altar swiveled open to allow incense to be put inside and burned. The perfumed smoke rose through the actor's hollow body and escaped through his giant mouth.

Los Angeles Times: Ancient Greece and Rome hailed favorite actors
http://www.calendarlive.com/printedition/calendar/cl-et-kidcal11mar11.story

You can see this incense burner and lots of other art at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Be sure to stop by the information desk and get a free postcard of the burner to take home with you. Storytelling sessions are on March 23 at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. (meet at the Lecture Hall). Use the museum's new Art Detective Cards to help you discover the Getty's masterpieces. For more information or parking reservations, call (310) 440-7300 or visit www.getty.edu. Parking reservations are not needed on weekends.
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This Learning Link was provided by the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center, near the San Diego and Santa Monica freeways in Los Angeles.