Terracotta oinochoe: olpe (jug)

ca. 540 BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 171
Young horseman between youth and woman

The olpe is a jug characterized by a mouth that is continuous rather than articulated with a spout. This example represents an early type in which the mouth is black rather than decorated. The meaning of the scene is puzzling, insofar as all three figures are holding spears. It may be that the youths are leaving or returning home; the woman with a spear is probably a member of the household.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Terracotta oinochoe: olpe (jug)
  • Period: Archaic
  • Date: ca. 540 BCE
  • Culture: Greek, Attic
  • Medium: Terracotta; black-figure
  • Dimensions: H. 9 in. (22.9 cm)
  • Classification: Vases
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1906
  • Object Number: 06.1021.63
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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