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Bronze lid and upper part of an oil flask

4th century BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 163
The relief on this elegantly worked roundel depicts a nude youth being attacked by a griffin. It relates to legends, first mentioned by the ancient Greek writer Herodotus, of the people called Arimasps who lived east of the Black Sea.Their land was rich in gold, but the gold was guarded by fierce griffins. The subject became popular during the Hellenistic period, especially for terracottas produced in Tarentum. It is likely that these South Italian models inspired the Central Italian adaptation on this bronze.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bronze lid and upper part of an oil flask
  • Period: Late Classical
  • Date: 4th century BCE
  • Culture: Praenestine
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: diameter 3 5/8in. (9.2cm)
  • Classification: Bronzes
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1910
  • Object Number: 10.230.1
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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