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Greek, Attica

Miniature Oil Flask (Lekythos), late 5th century BCE

Now On View

Description

Maker

Culture

Greek

Title

Miniature Oil Flask (Lekythos)

Year

late 5th century BCE

Medium

Terracotta, red-figure

Materials/Techniques

Materials

Techniques

Place

Attica

Type

Credit

Anonymous gift

Object Number

55.049

Projects & Publications

Publications

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries

Standing at only one and a half inches high, this miniature vessel was certainly not used for storage. In spite of the diminutive size, a painter used the space to depict a relatively detailed representation of a goose. The exact purpose of such tiny vessels is unknown, but examples in different shapes and forms are found all over the ancient Greek world. Some may have been left as votive offerings in temples, while others may have been for children who played with toys.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Miniature Oil Flask (Lekythos) with the accession number of 55.049. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.