Attributed to Pan Painter

Found in Gela, Sicily, this oversized oil flask (lekythos) was created as a funerary votive offering. The piece was painted by one of the most skilled Greek vase painters, an anonymous artist called the Pan Painter, known for his love of intricate patterns and details. The winged goddess Nike is depicted on the flask, holding a lyre and flying gracefully toward the viewer. Although she is the goddess of victory, Nike could also represent the achievement of wealth and success, and evoke a pleasant afterlife. This Nike, as a funerary votive, was probably meant to hint that death could be overcome.