Ancient Greece, Athens, ca. 5th century BCE. A beautiful wheel-thrown pottery lekythos - a vessel used to hold perfumes or other scented oils - finely painted via the black-figure technique with extensive incised details as well. The figurative panel depicts two draped figures standing in profile with a pair of Greek hoplite soliders wielding spears and shields between them. In addition to this iconographic program is a pair of leaf-like motifs as well as a rooster adorn the vessel's shoulder, and lustrous black glaze envelops the lower section of the body to the upper surface of the foot as well as the spout. Size: 6.125" H (15.6 cm) Lekythoi were used for storing oil used for a wide variety of purposes in the Classical World. While larger examples were usually designated for keeping olive oil, smaller more delicate examples like this one were reserved for the bath to store precious unguents of sweet and floral aromas. This beautiful vessel was most likely created for an elegant lady's toilette. Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #135333