Terracotta lekythos (oil flask)
ca. 440 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
H.: 12 x 3 9/16 in. (30.5 x 9 cm)
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Classical
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1908
Accession Number
08.258.18
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant terracotta lekythos, crafted by the Achilles Painter around 440 BCE, exemplifies the refined artistry of Classical Attic Greece. A slender oil flask typically used for perfumed oils in funerary rituals or daily grooming, its white-ground technique—where a pale clay slip creates a luminous backdrop—sets it apart from the more common black- or red-figure vases. Standing just over 12 inches tall, this intimate vessel from the Metropolitan Museum of Art invites close contemplation of its delicate details. The Achilles Painter, named after his masterful depiction of Achilles on anothe...