Terracotta fragment of a neck-amphora (jar)
Unknown Artist
last quarter of the 6th 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
2011.604.3.205
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from a neckphora offers a glimpse into the vibrant world of Archaic Attic pottery, crafted in Greece during the last quarter of the 6th century. Neck-amphorae were two-handled jars, ideal for storing and transporting precious liquids like olive oil and wine—staples of ancient Greek life. Produced in Athens, the heart of Attic ceramic workshops, these vessels were not just functional but also canvases for storytelling, often adorned with mythological scenes or daily motifs that reflected the culture's values, symposia, and heroic ideals. Though only a fragment survives...