Lekythos
early 5th century BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
H. 4 9/16 in. (11.5 cm)
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Late Archaic
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1941
Accession Number
41.162.181
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta lekythos, created by the Little Lion Class in early 5th-century BCEic Greece, exemplifies the Late Archaic period's refined black-figure pottery tradition. Standing just 4 9/16 inches (11.5 cm) tall, these small vases were masterfully wheel-thrown and fired, with artisans incising details into the glossy black slip before adding reddish clay accents. The Little Lion Class, a of anonymous painters named for their signature diminutive lion motifs, specialized in such intimate vessels, bridging the Archaic and emerging Classical styles. Adorned with dynamic scenes of lio...