Terracotta fragment of a neck-amphora (jar)
Unknown Artist
530–520 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
2011.604.3.338
Art Historical Context
This exquisite terracotta fragment from a neck-amphora, to 530–520 BCE, a glimpse into the vibrant of Archaic Attic Greek pottery. Crafted in ancient Athens, neck-amphorae were two-handled jars used storing and transporting precious commodities like olive oil and wine—essentials of Greek daily life and trade. As a product of the Attic workshops, this piece exemplifies the period's mastery of wheel-thrown clay, fired in kilns to achieve a durable red-orange hue, then meticulously painted, likely in the iconic black-figure technique where figures were incised through glossy slip to reveal the un...