Piriform Aryballos (Oil Bottle) (Primary Title)

Unknown (Artist)

mid 7th century BC
Greek (Proto-Corithian)
Ceramics
Containers-Vessels
terracotta
Overall: 2 3/4 × 1 1/2 in. (6.99 × 3.81 cm)
86.165
Not on view
Proto-Corinthian vases show the fine lines that characterized the Late Geometric period but also feature a broad band around the belly of the vessel that could be used for figural decoration, such as the running dogs on these vases. In the 8th century BC, Corinthian potters introduced a new form, the aryballos (a small round or ovoid vessel with a narrow neck), used for storing scented oils. The widespread distribution of aryballoi throughout Greece and the western Mediterranean indicates that Corinth imported scents from the East and re-exported them.
Gift of an Anonymous Donor
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC

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