Terracotta fragment of a closed shape
Unknown Artist
late 6th/early 5th centuries BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Archaic
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Dietrich von Bothmer, Distinguished Research Curator, Greek and Roman Art, 2011
Accession Number
2011.604.3.4
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta fragment comes from a closed-shape vase, likely an everyday vessel such as an amphora or lekythos used for storing oil, wine, or perfumes in ancient Athens. Dating to the late 6th or early 5th century BCE, it hails from the Archaic period of Greek art, a time when Attic potters mastered wheel-throwing techniques and pioneered iconic painting styles like black-figure and the emerging red-figure. Though only a shard survives, it offers a tantalizing glimpse into the craftsmanship of anonymous artisans whose work adorned homes, tombs, and symposia across the Mediterranean...