Red-Figure Lekythos (Oil Vessel): Warrior Cutting Hair
Oionokles Painter (Greek, Attic, active c. 480–460 BCE)
c. 480–470 BCE
Medium
ceramic
Dimensions
43.5 × 16.5 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
The Charles W. Harkness Endowment Fund
Accession Number
1928.660
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
male
About this artwork
Whether cutting his hair or combing it, this solitary warrior seems to be contemplating his fate. If mythological, he may be Parthenopaios or another of the ill-fated Seven Against Thebes, a band of warriors tasked with overthrowing that central Greek city. The Seven left mementos for their loved ones before departing, and he may be cutting a lock of hair for this reason. The same motive might apply to historical soldiers as well, and he may represent one of the many Greeks who battled the Persi...