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Amphoriskos (Container for Oil)
The Art Institute of Chicago

Amphoriskos (Container for Oil)

Description

Located on the narrow isthmus that joins the Greek mainland and the Peloponnese, with natural harbors facing east and west, Corinth was the major port of trade in Greece for most of the Archaic period (700–480 BCE). Producers exported scented oil around the Mediterranean in terracotta containers like this one known as an amphoriskos, literally a "little amphora," that survive today in the thousands.

Provenance

Jean P. Lambros (1843-1909), Athens, Greece; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1892; price reimbursed by Charles L. Hutchinson, 1892.

Dimensions

16.5 × 8.4 cm (6 1/2 × 3 1/4 in.)

Accession No

614

Curatorial Affinity Stream

Continuing the Universe of Greek; Corinth

corinthian (pottery style) • Corinth • Harmonious Works & Contemporaries