Vase fragment
Unknown Artist
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
Overall: 4 5/8 x 3 7/16in. (11.7 x 8.8cm)
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
East Greek/Sardis, Lydian · Archaic
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of The American Society for the Excavation of Sardis, 1926
Accession Number
26.199.128
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta vase fragment hails from the ancient city of Sardis, the opulent capital of Lydia in what is now western Turkey. Dating to the Archaic period (c. 800–480 BCE), it exemplifies East Greek pottery traditions influenced by Lydian culture, a prosperous kingdom famed for its gold reserves and King Croesus's legendary wealth. Unearthed during excavations sponsored by the American Society for Excavation of Sardis it entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art 1926 as a gift, offering a tangible link to this vibrant crossroads of Greek and Anatolian worlds. Though only a small piec...