Vase fragment
Unknown Artist
ca. 3000–2200 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
1 9/16 x 1 1/4in. (3.9 x 3.2cm)
Classification
Vases
Period
Early Helladic
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Gisela M. A. Richter, 1923
Accession Number
23.121.7
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta vase fragment, to the Early Helladic period (. 3000–2200 BCE), offers a glimpse into the daily life of prehistoric Greece during the Early Bronze Age. Measuring just 1 9/16 x 1 1/4 inches, it is a modest survivor from a larger vessel, likely used for storing grains, liquids, or other household essentials. Crafted from fired clay—a ubiquitous medium in ancient Aegean cultures—such fragments highlight the foundational pottery traditions that preceded the more ornate ceramics of later Greek eras. In the Early Helladic phase, mainland Greece saw the rise of settled farmin...