Oinochoe (Pitcher)
end of 4th century BCE
Medium
terracotta, red-figure
Dimensions
38.1 × 13.9 × 13.6 cm (15 × 15 1/2 × 5 3/8 in.)
Classification
pitcher (vessel)
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
246
Art Historical Context
This elegant oinochoe, or wine pitcher, crafted by the Mattinata Painter around the end of the 4th century BCE, exemplifies the artistry of South Italian Greek pottery. Standing at 38.1 cm tall, this terracotta vessel was designed for pouring wine during symposia—lively social gatherings where Greeks mingled over drink and discourse. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's of Arts of Greece,, and Byzantium, reflects the cultural fusion of Greek colonists in Apulia, Italy, where the Mattinata Painter worked. The red-figure technique, a hallmark of Classical Greek vase painting, shines here: a...