South Italian
A Greek black-glazed squat lekythos, South Italy, Campania, circa 4th century BC
Pottery
Height: 8.5 cm
The vessel with a bulbous body, wide foot and funnel lip. The body of the lekythos is decorated with vertical ribs. The entire surface is covered in a black slip...
The vessel with a bulbous body, wide foot and funnel lip. The body of the lekythos is decorated with vertical ribs. The entire surface is covered in a black slip with a high shine metallic glaze, except the underside which is left in reserve.
Condition: Intact. Some general surface wear with some pitting and chipping.
Condition: Intact. Some general surface wear with some pitting and chipping.
Provenance
Dr. Jerome Eisenberg Collection (1930-2022), New YorkLiterature
Squat lekythoi began to be produced as early as the Archaic Period, but it was not until the second half of the 5th century BC that the shape became particularly popular. The term 'lekythos' was used in ancient Greece to describe small vessels that held precious oils.For further discussion on squat lekythoi see, B. A. Sparkes and L. Talcott, The Athenian Agora, Vol.XII, Black and Plain Pottery of the 6th, 5th and 4th centuries BC, Part 1 (Princeton, 1970), p. 153-154. For a similar example see, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession no. 41.162.238.