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Rhyton (Drinking Vessel) in the Shape of a Donkey Head

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

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  • A work made of terracotta, red-figure.

Date:

480-470 BCE

Artist:

Attributed to the Painter of London E 55 (Manner of Douris)
Greek; Athens

About this artwork

This drinking cup could not have been set down without its contents spilling. It is fashioned after the head of a bridled donkey with a white muzzle, teeth, and ears. Like the naked satyr chasing a fleeing maenad on the vessel’s neck, the donkey belongs to the retinue of the wine god Dionysos.

Status

On View, Gallery 151

Department

Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

Culture

Ancient Greek

Title

Rhyton (Drinking Vessel) in the Shape of a Donkey Head

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.

480 BCE–470 BCE

Medium

terracotta, red-figure

Dimensions

20 × 9.3 cm (7 1/8 × 3 5/8 in.); Diam.: 9.3 cm (3 5/8 in.)

Credit Line

Museum Purchase Fund

Reference Number

1905.345

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.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/40887/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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