Terracotta fragment of a closed shape
Unknown Artist
late 6th/early 5th century 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
2011.604.3.2840
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from a closed-shape vase, likely a storage or ritual vessel such as a lekythos or amph, hails from Attic Greece during the late Archaic period (late 6th to early 5th century). Crafted by an potter-painter, it exemplifies the everyday artistry of ancient Athens, where terracotta was fired clay molded into functional forms and often adorned with painted scenes from mythology, daily life, symposia. Though only a fragment survives, it offers a glimpse into the vibrant pottery workshops of the period, bridging the bold black-figure technique—dominant earlier in the Archaic ...