Volute-krater fragment
Unknown Artist
4th century BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
2 7/8 x 2 1/2in. (7.3 x 6.4cm)
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, South Italian, Apulian · Late Classical
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1919
Accession Number
19.192.81.83
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta fragment from a volute-krater dating to the 4 century BCE, offers a glimpse into the vibrant world of South Italian Apulian pottery during the Late Classical period. in the Greek colonies of Apulia (modern-day Puglia, Italy), volute-kraters were grand mixing vessels for wine and water, essential to symposia—lively social gatherings where elites reclined, conversed, and reveled. The distinctive volute (scroll-like) handles, though partially preserved here in this modest 2 7/8 x 2 1/2-inch piece, elevated these vases as both functional objects and status symbols. Apulia...