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Chous (Toy Pitcher)

A work made of terracotta, red-figure.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of terracotta, red-figure.

Date:

400-380 BCE

Artist:

Greek; Athens

About this artwork

Toward the end of the 5th century BCE, Athenian potters and painters created a large number of miniature oinochoai (sing. oinochoe), or pitchers, decorated with children at play or imitating adults. It is thought that they were given to the youngest members of the family during the Anthesteria, a three-day celebration of the new vintage of wine and the arrival of spring. These little vessels are called choes (sing. chous), which means libations, after the name of the second day of the festival. Children took part in the festival but did not imbibe wine. On this example, a small white water bird has captured the unwanted attention of two naked toddlers. The boy on the left extends his toy pitcher toward it, while his companion bends over to touch it.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

Culture

Ancient Greek

Title

Chous (Toy Pitcher)

Place

Athens (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

400 BCE–380 BCE

Medium

Terracotta, red-figure

Dimensions

8.9 × 6.5 × 6.5 cm (3 9/16 × 2 5/8 × 2 9/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Martin A. Ryerson through The Antiquarian Society

Reference Number

1907.15

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/87659/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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