I gesti della seduzione

An investigation into non-verbal communication and the gestural language of heterosexual seduction in ancient Greek pottery from the 6th to the 4th century BC reveals how visual arts codified human emotion. Moving beyond rigid marital rituals like anakalypsis and cheir epi karpo, this research examines a more fluid "affective gesturality"—such as hugs, kisses, and subtle physical approaches—across Attic and South Italian vase painting. Grounded in semiotics and cultural anthropology, the analysis demonstrates how bodily contact on pottery translated everyday expressions into sophisticated symbolic codes. The diachronic perspective highlights major shifts in gender dynamics, private relationships, and the societal perception of women, tracing an evolution from archaic ideals of reciprocity to the immortalized, symbolic unions of South Italian iconography. Ultimately, these images actively shaped the ancient social imaginary rather than merely reflecting it.