Art Institute of Chicago

Aryballos (Container for Oil)

Etrusco-Corinthian; Etruria, Italy

Date

625-600 BCE

Medium

terracotta

Culture

Greece

Department

Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Situated at the crossroads of Mediterranean trade routes, the Etruscans were avid importers of Greek vases with figural decoration. Many of these vessels survive today because they were buried with their Etruscan owners, and were discovered in tombs only during the last several centuries. This piece was made by a local artist who quickly adopted the decorative motifs and painted styles of imported wares and adapted them to local tastes in order to capture some of the market.

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