Kantharos (Wine Cup) in the Shape of a Female Head
about 480 BCE
Medium
terracotta, white-ground and black-figure technique
Dimensions
19 × 17.8 × 13.3 cm (7 1/2 × 7 × 5 1/4 in.)
Classification
drinking vessel
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
40897
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This is an example of one of the most popular types of wine cup in ancient Greece, the kantharos. This particular cup takes the form of a woman's head, which is mirrored on the opposite side. Rising from a round foot, the woman's neck forms a wide stem, above which the cup flares out to a wide bowl with two handles on opposite sides.
About the Artist
Ancient Greek
The artist known simply as "Ancient Greek" represents the anonymous masters of Attic vase painting, a cornerstone of Classical Greek art from the Archaic and Classical periods (circa 700–300 BCE). Little is known of their personal life, as ancient Greek potters and painters rarely signed their works or left biographical traces; early life and training remain not well documented. These creators ope...