Aryballos (Container for Oil)
625-600 BCE
Medium
terracotta
Dimensions
9.6 cm (3 3/4 in.) × 5.4 cm (2 1/8 in.) × 5.4 cm (2 1/8 in.)
Classification
vessel
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
28503
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Situated at the crossroads of Mediterranean trade routes, the Etruscans were avid importers of Greek vases with figural decoration. Many of these vessels survive today because they were buried with their Etruscan owners, and were discovered in tombs only during the last several centuries. This piece was made by a local artist who quickly adopted the decorative motifs and painted styles of imported wares and adapted them to local tastes in order to capture some of the market.
About the Artist
Ancient Greek
The artist known simply as "Ancient Greek" represents the anonymous masters of Attic vase painting, a cornerstone of Classical Greek art from the Archaic and Classical periods (circa 700–300 BCE). Little is known of their personal life, as ancient Greek potters and painters rarely signed their works or left biographical traces; early life and training remain not well documented. These creators ope...