Terracotta fragment of an 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
2011.604.3.26
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from an Attic amphora, dating to 530–520 BCE, a glimpse into the vibrant of Archaic Greek pottery. Crafted in Athens during a golden age of vase-painting, amphorae like this were essential storage jars for olive oil and wine, often used in trade, symposia, or as prizes in athletic festivals like the Panathia. As a product of Attic workshops, it exemplifies the period's mastery of black-figure—where figures were painted in black slip and details incised to reveal the red clay beneath—though this transitional era also saw the dawn of innovative red-figure styles. Though...