Attic Pottery - Red-Figure Ware: Miniature Attic Red-figure Lekythos

Inv. No.: 95.016
Provenance: Attica (Metaponto)
Date: 5th century BC
Height: 78mm
Diameter: 36mm
 
This miniature vase has a flaring mouth, narrow neck, flat shoulder and a short cylindrical body curving down to a small, flat disc foot. The strap handle passes from the top of the neck to the edge of the shoulder. The vase is mainly painted black except for the red-figure decoration and areas such as the top of the lip, neck, shoulder and edge of the foot that are reserved. The shoulder is decorated with black geometric decoration. The black is red in places where it has not fired well. All the black areas are worn and chipped; there is some incrustation.

Function:
A container for oil or perfumed oil; the miniature size suggests that this was an offering.

Manufacture:
The vase was thrown on the wheel in sections and turned when leather-hard. The handle was shaped by hand and attached with slip.

Decoration:

1. The mouth is black on the outside and inside with the top of the lip reserved. The outside of the handle is black and the edge of the foot is reserved.
2. The neck and shoulder are reserved. On the shoulder there are two bands of black rays.
3. The body of the vase is black with, on the side opposite the handle, a delicately painted red-figure depiction of a crouching naked youth with black hair. He is shown in profile, facing right, with his left knee raised, right knee lowered and his right hand outstretched, perhaps in supplication. His left hand is just visible behind his left leg. There is a reserved ground line that continues around the vase, although it is covered with black in places.

Comparanda:
Blinkenberg, C. and K. Friis Johansen, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Danemark 4, Copenhague 4 (undated), III I, Plate 167, 8 (red-figure Eros in a similar pose on a squat lekythos).

Deppert, K., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Deutschland 30, Frankfurt 2 (1968), Tafel 80, 6 (similar type of vase with a red-figure woman).

Greifenhagen, A., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Deutschland 4, Braunschweig 1 (1940), Tafel 28, 12 (similar lekythos with a red-figure crouching naked boy playing with a ball).

Mayence, F. and V. Verhoogen, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Belgium 2, Brussels 2 (1937), Plate 21, 12 (black gloss lekythos; similar shape and shoulder decoration, but slightly larger).

Porto, F. G. Lo, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Italia 40, Torino 2 (1969), III H, Tav. 18, 3 (black gloss lekythos; very similar shape and shoulder decoration).

Wehgartner, I., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Deutschland 62, Berlin 8 (1991), Tafel 43, 8 (red-figure Eros in a similar pose on a squat lekythos).