Art Institute of Chicago

Oinochoe (Pitcher)

Attributed to The Painter of Naples 3136

Date

about 440 BCE

Medium

terracotta, red-figure

Culture

Athens

Department

Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Below the pouring spout of this shiny black vessel is a youthful musician holding a seven-stringed lyre, its sound box rendered to look like tortoiseshell. The plectrum, or pick, is tied to the lowermost of the instrument’s two upright bars. A himation, or mantle, falls from his left shoulder. Unusually, he wears leggings. The wreath encircling his head is a common accessory of symposium attendees. Perhaps he has or will perform for the gathering of men.

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