Terracotta vase in the form of a lobster claw

Attributed to the Class of Seven Lobster-Claws

ca. 460 BCE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 157

Donkey; keras (drinking horn)

Because so many aspects of Greek life depended on the sea, a vase in the shape of a lobster claw is not surprising. It is, however, exceptional and may be a variant of the askos—a bag-shaped oil container provided with a vertical mouth and strap handle. The Dionysiac iconography of the lobster claw suggests that it was a novelty item used at symposia (drinking parties).

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

References

Title: Terracotta vase in the form of a lobster claw
Artist: Attributed to the Class of Seven Lobster-Claws
Period: Classical
Date: ca. 460 BCE
Culture: Greek, Attic
Medium: Terracotta; red-figure
Dimensions: Overall: 2 3/4 x 2 7/8 in. (7 x 7.3 cm)
Other: 6 1/4in. (15.9cm)
Classification: Vases
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1923
Object Number: 23.160.57
Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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