Terracotta fragment of a neck-amphora (jar)
Unknown Artist
490–480 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Late 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
2011.604.3.450
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from a neck-amphora, to 490–480 BCE, a glimpse into the vibrant of Late Archaic Attic pottery from ancient Greece. Produced in Athens, the cultural and artistic heart of the Greek world, neck-amphorae were two-handled jars used storing and transporting precious commodities like olive oil and wine. As a fragment, it survives from a once-complete vessel, likely adorned with the intricate black-figure technique—where figures were painted in glossy black slip and details incised to reveal the red clay beneath—hallmarks of Attic craftsmanship during this transitional period...