눈이 그려진 술잔에서 눈 모티프가 어떤 의미를 지니는가에 관해서 지난 세기 동안 학자들이 다양한 해석을 내놓았다. 가장 오래된 주장은 액막이적인 용도로 해석하는 것이고, 1980년대부터는 그리스 비극의 탄생과 연관하여 가면(mask)의 역할과 관련하여 해석되었다. 그러나 눈이 그려진 술잔에서 강조된 눈의 도상은 시각과 관련된 보다 근원적인 인식의 문제와 관련이 있을 수 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 눈이 그려진 술잔의 기원과 발전 과정을 고찰하고, 기존의 연구에서 제시된 다양한 견해를 살펴보고자 한다. 그리고 눈의 도상이 인격화를 위한 시각적 디자인이라는 점에 착안하여, 고대인들의 시각에 대한 견해를 토대로 눈이 그려진 술잔이 다양한 맥락에서 수용될 수 있었던 배경을 추론해 보고자 한다.

Scholars have come up with various interpretations of what eye motif means in so called 'eye-cups' over the past century. The oldest argument is viewed as an apotropaic purpose, and since the 1980s, it has been suggested that the eye motif acts as a mask in symposia in connection with the birth of the Greek tragedy. However, the eye motif highlighted in eye-cups may be interpreted to more fundamental perceptions related to vision. This study will consider the origin and development of eye-cups, and will examine various views presented in previous studies. Based on the visual design of the eye motif as personification, the reason may be inhered by how the eye motif in eye-cups could be adapted in various contexts according to the perspective of the ancient Greeks. From the 8th century B.C., Greek sculptors reproduced anthropomorphic figures, and in the 7th century B.C., Greek vase potters and painters also used head-shaped vases to represent human faces. At the same time, Greek artists personified their works with inscriptions. The eye-motif drawn on kylikes that appeared in the second half of the 6th century B.C., was a design that symbolically reproduces human faces in pottery, and can be seen as an extension of the method of personifying pottery. An artist would have expected that a kylix (personified) with the image of eyes would interact appropriately to the needs of various users, find a necessary role, and express a “persona” that fits it and be usefully consumed. Therefore, the iconography of the eyes in kylikes can be seen as a result of visual invention intended to realize its usefulness in various contexts.