Terracotta fragment of an neck-amphora (jar)
Unknown Artist
last quarter of the 6th 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
2011.604.3.16
Art Historical Context
This terracotta fragment from a neck-amphora offers a glimpse into the vibrant world of Archaic Greek pottery, crafted in Attic workshops during the last quarter of the 6th century BCE. Neck-amphorae were elegant two-handled jars designed for storing and transporting precious commodities like olive oil and wine, their slender necks and swelling bodies making them both functional and visually striking. As a product of Athens' golden age of ceramics, this piece reflects the period's mastery of wheel-thrown clay, fired to a warm reddish hue before decoration. Though only a fragment survives—like...