Terracotta fragment from a closed shape

Art Historical Context

This delicate terracotta fragment hails from a closed-shape vase, likely used for storing oils, perfumes, or unguents in daily life or rituals during the 6th to 5th centuries BCE. Dating to the Archaic and early Classical periods of ancient Greece, it offers a glimpse into the sophisticated pottery traditions of the Mediterranean world. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Greek and Roman Art Department, this piece was generously gifted in 2011 by Dietrich von Bothmer, the museum's esteemed Research Curator for Greek and Roman Art. Terracotta, or fired clay, was the medium of choice for...