Oinochoe (Pitcher)
640-625 BCE
Medium
terracotta, black-figure
Dimensions
24.8 × 18.2 × 18.2 cm (9 3/4 × 7 1/8 × 7 1/8 in.)
Classification
pitcher (vessel)
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
641
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This jug was probably used to serve wine at gatherings. The pinched mouth forms a narrow channel that controls the flow of its contents when poured. The seventh century marks the beginning of the Archaic period (700–480 BC). In Corinth, vase painters embellished their pottery with creatures, both real and imaginary, and sometimes humans and gods. These artisans also explored new methods of decoration, often painting their subjects in silhouette with black gloss and added details by incising thr...
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...