Phiale (Shallow Bowl for Pouring Ritual Libations)
300-250 BCE
Medium
terracotta, Calenian relief ware
Dimensions
3.8 × 19.3 × 19.3 cm (1 1/2 × 7 5/8 × 7 5/8 in.)
Classification
bowl
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
87663
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
During the course of the 5th and 4th centuries B.C., black vessels like this one (commonly called black-glaze vessels) were made with increasing frequency in both Greece and South Italy. Many of them replicate the shape of metal vessels, while others have detailing that is molded or incised. Regardless, they would have been less expensive than vessels decorated in other contemporary techniques, for example, in red-figure.
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...