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Terracotta aryballos (flask)

6th century BCE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 170

The interest of the vase lies in the Etruscan inscription incised around the shoulder. It reads, "I am the little lekythos of Lartha, daughter of Telikles." The name Telikles is of Greek origin, and the Etruscan word used for "little lekythos" is a diminutive derived from the Greek term for an oil flask. It is noteworthy also that while the decorative ornament perfectly fits the available space, the inscription runs beyond the shoulder into the field below.

Terracotta aryballos (flask), Terracotta, Etruscan — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Terracotta aryballos (flask)

Period: Archaic

Date: 6th century BCE

Culture: Etruscan

Medium: Terracotta; bucchero

Dimensions: h. 5cm, w. 4.5cm, diam. 2cm

Classification: Vases

Credit Line: Lent by the Antiquities Collection, Department of Classics, New York University

Object Number: L.2012.7

The Met

Greek and Roman Art at The Met

The Museum's collection of Greek and Roman art comprises more than 30,000 works ranging in date from the Neolithic period to the time of the Roman emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity in A.D. 312.