Squat Lekythos (Oil Jar)

Greek; Elis →

greekancientvesselancient art

Date

430-410 BCE

Medium

terracotta, black-glaze with impressed decoration

Dimensions

7.9 × 9.8 × 9.8 cm (3 1/8 × 3 7/8 × 3 7/8 in.)

Museum

Art Institute of Chicago

Location

Chicago, IL

Credit

Bequest of Chester D. Tripp

During the course of the 5th and 4th centuries B.C., black vessels (commonly called black-glaze vessels) were made with increasing frequency in both Greece and South Italy. Many of them replicate the shape of metal vessels. Others have detailing that is molded or incised. Although black-glazed wares can be rather coarse, this example is quite fine. Regardless, they would have been less expensive than vessels decorated in other contemporary techniques, for example, in red-figure.

Also notable

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