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Hydria (Water Jar)

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

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  • A work made of terracotta, red-figure.

Date:

360-350 BCE

Artist:

Attributed to the Iliupersis Painter
Greek; Apulia, Italy

About this artwork

In ancient Greece it was considered uncivilized to consume undiluted wine, so water was fetched from a public fountain house in a large handled jar like this one and used to dilute large quantities of wine. The horizontal handles made it easier to carry, while the vertical handle at the back was used for pouring. On the front of the vessel, six female figures are arranged around a funeral momument, topped by a tall white pillar. Some of the women are standing while others are seated, and hold objects like fans or caskets for precious objects. Below the handles on the sides of the vessel, the painter has added two owls.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

Artist

Iliupersis Painter

Title

Hydria (Water Jar)

Place

Apulia (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.

360 BCE–350 BCE

Medium

terracotta, red-figure

Dimensions

53 × 41.2 × 34.2 cm (20 7/8 × 16 1/4 × 13 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Katherine K. Adler Memorial Fund

Reference Number

1984.11

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/102082/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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