ABSTRACT
Images of men wearing armour and engaged in valiant battles on ceramic tableware reveal that these objects played a crucial role in the formation of a new male ideal that emerged during the Komnenian period – that of the heroic, manly man. The ‘manliness’ of these figures was intimately tied up in their activities, which provided opportunities for the demonstration of bravery and honour. They are shown hunting both game and dragons, alluding to contemporary thought that conceived of the hunt as a preparation for warfare. The presence of such imagery on ceramic vessels suggests that while hunting for leisure and glory may have been out of the financial reach of much of the objects’ audiences, the activity of the hunt appealed to a wider range of social circles than often assumed. Representations of these kinds of men are one of the most frequently occurring iconographies on plates and bowls, highlighting the immense popularity enjoyed by this theme across a wide geographical and socio-economic range.
