Hydria (Water Jar)
350-330 BCE
Medium
terracotta, black-glaze with gilded raised clay and ribbing
Dimensions
50 × 35 × 28.5 cm (19 11/16 × 13 3/4 × 11 1/4 in.)
Classification
vessel
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
3476
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The ribbed body of this vase was formed in a mold, then attached to the separately made feet, handles, neck, and mouth and coated with black gloss before being fired. Certain parts were left in the natural color which, along with the egg-and-dart pattern on the lower edge of the rim, provides decorative contrast. The pattern and the necklace represented on the neck were made from tiny pieces of clay which were gilded.
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...