Getty Museum

Exaleiptron

Date

about 300 B.C.

Medium

Marble

Culture

Greek

Department

Vessels

Institution

Getty Museum

This elegant marble vessel, known as an exaleiptron, takes its name from the Greek word meaning "to anoint." The vase once held scented oil, and a sharply inward-curving lip prevented the precious liquid from spilling. Containers of this type were typically made of clay, but some examples were carved from marble as luxury items for wealthy women. They were used in the home and also deposited in graves. This exaleiptron is composed of four separately-made elements: the stem, body, shoulder, and lid. Marble vessels were carved on lathes, and lathe marks are still visible on this vase on the underside of the body and the interior of the bowl. Such vessels were often brightly painted. Only a small area of paint survives on this vase—a bit of pink or red along one section of incised line on the shoulder.

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