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Attributed to Christie Painter

Water Jar (Hydria-Kalpis), ca. 450 BCE

Now On View

Description

Maker

  • Attributed to Christie Painter, 450 BCE - 420 BCE

Culture

Greek

Title

Water Jar (Hydria-Kalpis)

Year

ca. 450 BCE

Medium

Terracotta, red-figure

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • clay

Techniques

  • terracotta,
  • red-figure

Dimensions

Height: 37.5 cm (14 3/4 inches)

Place

Attica

Type

  • Ceramics

Credit

Gift of Charles Bradley and Museum Appropriation Fund

Object Number

22.114

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Sixteen Chairs

January 13 - March 4, 1973

Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries

The water jar (hydria) was one of the most common vessel shapes in classical Athens. Two horizontal handles on each side were for lifting the vessel when full, and the vertical handle at the back was for pouring or for carrying the hydria while empty. Used predominantly by women, hydriai were often decorated with scenes featuring women. The elegantly painted scene on this vessel of an Athenian woman in her normative role as manager of her household - can interpreted in two ways. The baskets flanking her, commonly used to hold wool, could refer to her duties of spinning and making garments for her family. The image could also be prophetic: about to be married, the woman looks into the mirror, suggesting a view into her future.

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 Water Jar (Hydria-Kalpis) with the accession number of 22.114. 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.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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