1. plural of calathus; plural of calathos; baskets or basket-shaped vessels, especially those used in ancient Greece and Rome for holding flowers, fruit, or other items.
Usage: archaic; classical antiquity; often used in art history and archaeology

Examples

• The museum displayed ancient calathi filled with replicas of fruit and flowers.
• In classical art, calathi were depicted as elegant containers carried by maidens.
• Archaeologists discovered fragments of calathi at the excavation site.
• The painter rendered the calathi with intricate detail in the fresco.
• Calathi appear frequently in Greek pottery and sculpture from the classical period.