Greek squat lekythos with palmette

ITEM: Squat lekythos with palmette
MATERIAL: Pottery
CULTURE: Greek
PERIOD: 4th Century B.C
DIMENSIONS: 100 mm x 51 mm
CONDITION: Good condition
PROVENANCE: Ex French private collection, acquired between 1970 - 1990

Comes with Certificate of Authenticity and Export Licence. If you are from outside the European Union, we will have to apply for the export licence again for your country, this takes 3 to 5 weeks and has a cost of 5% of the hammer price, this amount will be added to the final invoice.

The squat lekythos is a distinctive variant of the Greek lekythos, a vessel primarily used for storing oil, perfumes, or other precious liquids. Characterized by a broader, more compact body compared to the standard lekythos, the squat version was particularly prevalent from the late Archaic to the Classical period (6th–4th century BCE). Produced in major ceramic centers such as Athens and Corinth, squat lekythoi were often adorned with black-figure or red-figure decoration, displaying scenes drawn from mythology, daily life, or funerary iconography. Their wide, flat body provided an ideal surface for intricate painted compositions, and they frequently featured a short neck and flaring mouth, facilitating controlled pouring of their contents.

Functionally, the squat lekythos maintained a role similar to its taller counterpart, though its compact form suggests it was designed for more convenient handling and storage. These vessels were commonly associated with both domestic and ritual contexts, particularly in relation to funerary offerings. Many have been recovered from gravesites, indicating their role in burial practices, where they may have contained perfumed oils used to anoint the deceased or were left as votive deposits. The iconographic choices on these vessels often reflect their intended use, with frequent depictions of mourners, chthonic deities, or Dionysian imagery symbolizing the transition between life and death.