Black-Figure Lekythos (Oil Vessel): Seated Men, Warriors and Horse
Leagros Group (Greek, Attic, active c. 520–500 BCE)
c. 510–500 BCE
Medium
ceramic
Dimensions
h. 31.7 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Charles W. Harkness Endowment Fund
Accession Number
1929.134
Tags
gender unknown
About this artwork
Four men decorate the body of this sturdy oil vessel, perhaps in a scene of homecoming. Unlike on later, white-ground lekythoi, the painter has used white only as an accent—now faded—on the shield and the clothing and broad-brimmed hats of some of the men. The letters scattered across the background do not spell any recognizable Greek words, perhaps suggesting an illiterate painter and/or clientele.