Terracotta fragment of a neck-amphora (jar)
Unknown Artist
second quarter of the sixth 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
2011.604.3.730
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from a neck-amphora, to the second quarter of the sixth century, offers a glimpse into the vibrant of Archaic Attic Greek pottery. Produced in Athens, the heart of ancient Greek ceramic innovation, neck-amphorae were practical two-handled jars used store and transport olive oil, wine, or valuables. As a fragment, it survives from a larger vessel likely adorned with the black-figure technique—where silhouetted figures in glossy black slip were incised to reveal underlying clay details—a hallmark of Attic workshops during this dynamic period. The Archaic era (c. 600–480...