A Podcast-Inspired Tour for Families
A new way for kids and parents to experience the Getty Villa
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The first season of If Objects Could Talk shared the stories of 10 objects from the Getty Villa Museum collection.
Now that you’ve heard the episodes, we’ve designed a self-guided tour for you to continue the fun—in person in our galleries!
To embark on this adventure, first download the map and guide, then follow the discussion prompts below (also available in the guide).
Want to earn some extra credit? Start every conversation with a description of what you notice.
(Can’t make it out to the Getty Villa? Watch the virtual tour at the bottom of the page.)
1. Gravestone of a Woman with Her Attendant, Gallery 111
Our first stop is an object that doesn’t actually appear on the podcast—but bear with us! Notice anything familiar in this frieze (a horizontal decorative sculpture)? That’s right! There are not one but two snake bracelets adorning each arm of the woman on the right.
Discussion: What kinds of things can art teach us about the past? (Hint: fashion, food, and activities are all common themes in art)
Grave Naiskos of an Enthroned Woman with an Attendant, about 100 BCE, East Greek. Marble, 37 1/4 × 47 1/2 × 8 1/2 in. Getty Museum
2. Snake Bracelet, Gallery 216
Now that we’ve seen some snake bracelets in art, it’s time to see the real thing, which is right upstairs.
Action: Pretend to put it on. How does it feel? Show it off!
Snake Bracelet, 100 BCE–100 CE, Egypt. Gold, glass, 2 13/16 in. Getty Museum
3. Key with a Horse-Head Handle, Gallery 216
Our next object is just a few feet away—the horse-head key! She’s right next to her good friend, the dog.
Discussion: Compare the two keys. Is one in better condition than the other? Why might that be?
Bonus: Can you find the other Lar hiding in this case? See those letters on the base? They’re Greek, but the words are a mix of Greek and Latin! What would you call that hybrid language? Maybe…Gratin? Leek?
Key with a Horse-Head Handle, 2nd century CE, Roman. Bronze and iron, 2 3/16 × 6 1/8 × 1 1/16 in. Getty Museum
Key with a Dog-Shaped Handle, 1st century CE, Roman. Bronze and iron, 4 5/16 x 3 1/16 in. Getty Museum
4. Green Fish-Shaped Flask with Pinched Decoration, Gallery 214
To continue with the animal theme, head out of this gallery and through the door on the wall opposite our snake and horse to find our friendly fish flask!
Action: Imagine blowing the different glass objects in this case. How would you shape the vases versus the flask? Act it out! Then check out the video screen next to the case for a glassblowing demo.
Green Fish-Shaped Flask with Pinched Decoration, 3rd century CE, Roman. Glass, 3 1/8 × 8 11/16 × 7/8 in. Getty Museum
5. Lar, Gallery 211
Head down the hall a little ways to find our Lar.
Discussion: Look at the details on this little statue—his hair, his clothing. (They are all present thanks to lost-wax casting! Review episode 5 for more on that process.) What effect does this detail have when you look at the sculpture? If you were a bronze artist, what detailed object would you want to make into a statue?
Statuette of a Lar, 1st century CE, Roman. Bronze, 5 × 1 15/16 × 1 3/8 in. Getty Museum
6. Scarab with Dancing Satyr, Gallery 110
Now head back down the stairs and take a quick right for our dancing satyr and his scarab buddy. Can you find him? He’s tiny! You can use the nearby tablet to zoom in and see the details more clearly.
Action: Head to the inner peristyle (courtyard) and show off your best satyr sikinnis dance!
Scarab with Dancing Satyr, satyr side, 500–475 BCE, Etrurian. Cornelian, 1/4 × 1/2 × 3/8 in. Getty Museum
7. Water Jar with Women, Gallery 104
Head straight ahead through the inner peristyle (atrium) to find our final podcast star—the hydria with three figures.
Action: Imagine a hydria full of water. Now try to lift it up. How would you carry it? In your arms? On your head? With a friend? Would you act differently with the various hydrias in this case?
Attic Red-Figure Hydria with Women, 410–400 BCE, Roman. Terracotta, 7 13/16 × 6 5/16 × 4 15/16 in. Getty Museum
8. Athens (Tetradrachm), Gallery 101D
As you head toward the exit, stop to see one more bonus object. No, this isn’t the owl coin from the podcast (look, no test cut!). That one is in storage; this is one of his many brothers and sisters.
Discussion: What other animals can you spot in this case? What do you think they say about the states that made those coins? Discuss, then you can check out the screen to zoom in and read about why some of these symbols were chosen.
Athenian tetradrachm coin, owl side, 475–465 BCE, Greece. Silver, 3/16 × 15/16 in. Getty Museum
And that’s the end of our tour! Did the objects look like you imagined they would? What else did you see that sparked your curiosity? Write a note or record a voice memo, then send your thoughts to podteam@getty.edu to let us know!
You can also watch the video tour below. Feel free to pause as you go to discuss the prompts.
