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Terracotta vase in the form of a sleeping Black African youth

ca. 3rd–2nd century BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 164
The sleeping boy's nakedness and exhausted state suggest that he is a servant. Vases of this shape probably held perfumed oils.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Terracotta vase in the form of a sleeping Black African youth
  • Period: Hellenistic
  • Date: ca. 3rd–2nd century BCE
  • Culture: Cypriot
  • Medium: Terracotta
  • Dimensions: H. 8 3/16 in. (20.8 cm)
  • Classification: Vases
  • Credit Line: The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76
  • Object Number: 74.51.2263
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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