Terracotta lekythos (oil flask)
ca. 440 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
H. 14 3/4 in. (37.39 cm)
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Classical
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Norbert Schimmel Trust, 1989
Accession Number
1989.281.72
Tags
About this artwork
This white-ground lekythos attributed to the Achilles Painter represents ancient Greek vase painting at its most refined and emotionally resonant. Created circa 440 BCE during Athens' Classical period, this oil flask (height 14 3/4 inches) exemplifies the specialized funerary vessels produced for burial with the deceased or placement at graves. The Achilles Painter, named after a Vatican amphora depicting the hero Achilles, ranks among the greatest vase painters, with over 200 attributed works, ...
Art Historical Context
This exquisite terracotta lekythos, an ancient Greek oil flask attributed to the masterful Achilles Painter, dates to around 440 BCE during Athens' Classical golden age. Standing 14¾ inches tall, it served as a funerary vessel, filled with oils and placed in tombs or at graves to honor the deceased. The Achilles Painter, named for his iconic depiction of the hero Achilles on a Vatican amphora, produced over 200 vases, many in the refined white-ground style seen here, earning him acclaim as one of antiquity's greatest draftsmen. Crafted using the innovative white-ground technique—where a light...