GREEK CORINTHIAN POTTERY ARYBALLOS
Ca. 600-550 BC.
A charming pottery aryballos - a type of vessel used to store oils and perfumes, with a classic apple-shaped body, a short neck supporting a discoid rim, and a handle connecting the rim with a shoulder. Aryballos were used by the ancient Greeks in a variety of contexts. They were used to store and transport oil, both for domestic and religious purposes, to anoint the body during rituals, and as offerings to the gods. They were also used as grave gifts, as well as for decorative purposes. The aryballos was a distinctively Corinthian form of pottery, and was often associated with the goddess Aphrodite, the patron goddess of Corinth. For a type, see The Louvre Museum, Collection number: Cp 12422.
Size: L:70mm / W:65mm ; 75g
Provenance: Property of a London collector; ex European art market 1990s.
Estimate: GBP 200 - 400