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Terracotta aryballos (flask)

6th century BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 170
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.
The interest of the vase lies in the Etruscan inscription incised around the shoulder. It reads, "I am the little lekythos of Lartha, daughter of Telikles." The name Telikles is of Greek origin, and the Etruscan word used for "little lekythos" is a diminutive derived from the Greek term for an oil flask. It is noteworthy also that while the decorative ornament perfectly fits the available space, the inscription runs beyond the shoulder into the field below.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Terracotta aryballos (flask)
  • Period: Archaic
  • Date: 6th century BCE
  • Culture: Etruscan
  • Medium: Terracotta; bucchero
  • Dimensions: h. 5cm, w. 4.5cm, diam. 2cm
  • Classification: Vases
  • Credit Line: Lent by the Antiquities Collection, Department of Classics, New York University
  • Object Number: L.2012.7
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art