Terracotta fragment of an amphora (jar)
Unknown Artist
520–510 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
2011.604.3.44
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from an Attic amphora, dating to 520–510 BCE, offers a glimpse into the vibrant world of Archaic Greek pottery. Crafted in Athens during a golden age of vase painting, amphorae like this were essential storage jars for wine, oil, or grain, often used in symposia, trade, or as grave goods. As a product of Attic workshops, it exemplifies the black-figure technique—where silhouettes were painted in glossy black slip and details incised with fine tools—before the shift to the more fluid red-figure style. Though only a fragment survives, it reflects the period's artistic p...