Terracotta Nolan neck-amphora (jar)
ca. 450 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
H. 11 1/8 in. (28.3 cm) diameter of mouth 4 13/16 in. (12.2 cm) diameter of foot 3 1/16 in. (7.8 cm)
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Classical
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1956
Accession Number
56.171.41
Tags
Art Historical Context
This terracotta Nolan neck-amphora, crafted around 450 BCE by the Ethiop Painter, represents the elegance of Athenian vase production during Greece’s Classical period. Standing just over eleven inches tall, this slender jar was designed for storing oil or wine and reflects the refined proportions favored in Attic workshops. The Ethiop Painter, active in the mid-fifth century, specialized in red-figure decoration that allowed for greater naturalism in human anatomy and drapery compared to earlier black-figure styles. The vessel’s painted scene centers on the hero Ajax alongside the goddess Ath...