Rhyton (Drinking Vessel) in Shape of Sheep's Head
320-310 BCE
Medium
terracotta, red-figure
Dimensions
20.9 × 11.4 × 12 cm (8 1/4 × 4 1/2 × 4 3/4 in.)
Classification
vessel
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
105545
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Decorated tableware enlivened festive meals, and could have humerous intentions. This vessel fashioned in the shape of a sheep’s head is a special kind of drinking cup that cannot be set down when full, encouraging the guest who held it to drink a great deal of wine.
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...