ticketsMember | Make a donation

Terracotta tripod kothon (vessel for perfumed oil)

mid-6th century BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 152
On the body are a bearded siren, a sphinx, and a lion. The legs are decorated with two padded dancers, two men with spears, and a running winged figure representing Aristaios, a son of Apollo and the nymph Cyrene, who was well-known in Boeotia. Aristaios was celebrated for his agricultural discoveries and for his gifts to mankind. Here he holds a mattock in his left hand and a small pot in his right. The mattock would have been used to cover the newly sown seeds with soil to protect them from birds; the pot may contain seed.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Terracotta tripod kothon (vessel for perfumed oil)
  • Artist: Attributed to the Group of the Boeotian Dancers
  • Period: Archaic
  • Date: mid-6th century BCE
  • Culture: Greek, Boeotian
  • Medium: Terracotta; black-figure
  • Dimensions: H. 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm)
    diameter 7 1/8 in. (18.1 cm)
  • Classification: Vases
  • Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1960
  • Object Number: 60.11.10
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Terracotta tripod kothon (vessel for perfumed oil)
Group of the Boeotian Dancers
2nd quarter of the 6th century BCE
Pair of terracotta volute-kraters (vases for mixing wine and water) with stands, Terracotta, Greek, South Italian, Apulian
Pair of terracotta volute-kraters (vases for mixing wine and water) with stands
Greek, South Italian, Apulian
3rd quarter of the 4th century BCE
Pair of terracotta volute-kraters (vases for mixing wine and water) with stands, Terracotta, Greek, South Italian, Apulian
Pair of terracotta volute-kraters (vases for mixing wine and water) with stands
Greek, South Italian, Apulian
3rd quarter of the 4th century BCE
Bronze rod tripod stand, Bronze, Greek
Bronze rod tripod stand
Greek
early 6th century BCE
Terracotta askos in the form of a boar, Terracotta, Greek, South Italian, Campanian
Terracotta askos in the form of a boar
Greek, South Italian, Campanian
4th century BCE

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.