Greek, Archaic, 600 – 550 B.C.

Terracotta

H: 13.5 cm

Provenance: Ex-Swiss private collection, collected in the 1960s-70s

Serial No: 17211

These finely potted vessels are in remarkable condition, which is surprising considering the delicacy of the shape: the thinness of the horizontal rim, the wide, straight neck, the globular body and the high, narrow foot.  This profile is typical of the lydion, a rare type of vessel that takes its name from the Lydians, a people from Asia Minor who specialized in the shape, although it may have been the Egyptians who originally invented it. 

The banded decoration on this Attic example is bolder than the thin, reddish brown lines that are usually seen on the earlier Lydian types.  The neck, foot and a thick band on the body are all painted in what originally would have been a deep reddish-brown.  Age or conditions during the firing have turned the glaze an attractive silvery color, and thin silver bands decorate the rest of the vessel at regular intervals. 

Lydia were specifically used as containers for ointments and oils, and great care was taken by the potter to ensure that this graceful and skillfully made pair would be suitable receptacles for their precious contents.

Bibliography:

BOTTINI B., Les Lydia du Musée d’art et d’histoire de Genève in Antike Kunst, 39, 1996, p. 140-141, n. 1-2.