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Fragment of a Funerary Lekythos (Monument in the Shape of an Oil Jar)

A work made of marble.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of marble.

Date:

4th century BCE

Artist:

Attributed to the Demagora Master
Greek; Halai Aixonides, Athens

About this artwork

This stone fragment takes the shape of a lekythos, a small terracotta jar of oil that was often left at a grave just as we might leave flowers today. Inscriptions identify the three figures. The bearded man at left is named Leon and was from Halai (located northwest of Athens). He clasps hands with Demagora, who sits before him and is presumably his wife. Their daughter, Helike, stands behind her mother and watches the couple bid an eternal farewell, although it is unclear which of the three has died. Only prominent families would have had the means to immortalize their loved ones by having their names set in stone.

Status

On View, Gallery 151

Department

Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

Culture

Ancient Greek

Title

Fragment of a Funerary Lekythos (Monument in the Shape of an Oil Jar)

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–301 BCE

Medium

Marble

Dimensions

55.3 × 43.7 × 17.2 cm (22 × 17 1/4 × 6 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Katherine K. Adler Memorial Fund, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Alexander Classical Endowment Fund, Costa A. Pandaleon Greek Art Memorial Fund, and David P. Earle III Fund

Reference Number

2009.76

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/198468/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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