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Oil flask (lekythos) with sacrificial procession
Greek
Archaic Period
about 520–500 B.C.
Place of Manufacture: Greece, Attica, Athens
Medium/Technique
Ceramic, Red Figure
Dimensions
Height: 31 cm (12 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
Bartlett Collection—Museum purchase with funds from the Francis Bartlett Donation of 1912
Accession Number13.195
CollectionsAncient Greece and Rome
ClassificationsVessels
Catalogue Raisonné
Caskey-Beazley, Attic Vase Paintings (MFA), no. 014.
DescriptionThis lekythos shows a sacrificial procession moving to right. On the right, a girl leads a procession to the place of sacrifice, holding a ritual basket on her head. Called a "basket carrier" (kanephoros), she is followed by two adorned cows attended by two wreathed youths. Before her an Ionic column with a decorative fillet tied around it. The fillet on the column, the halters of cows, and the branches held by youths are painted in purple. Purple and white woolen fillets hang from horns of cows. Palmette design under handle. Black palmetttes around shoulder. On lip, inscription: "Gales made [it]" (see inscription field).
Signed
"Gales made [it]"
Inscriptions"Gales made [it]" (on lip)
ΓΑΛΕΣ ΕΠΟΙΕΣΕΝ
ΓΑΛΕΣ ΕΠΟΙΕΣΕΝ
ProvenanceSaid to be from Gela, Italy. 1911, sold by Tommaso and Ignazio Virzi (dealers), Palermo, to Edward Perry Warren (b. 1860 - d. 1928), London and Rome; 1913, sold by E. P. Warren to the MFA for $18,948.70 [see note]. (Accession Date: January 2, 1913)
NOTE: Total price paid for MFA accession nos. 13.186 - 13.245. Shipped to Warren in 1911 as "Lekythos--Signed ΓΑΛΕΣ ΕΠΟΙΕΣΕΝ" (source: private archive). Many thanks to Erin Thompson for facilitating access to this material.
NOTE: Total price paid for MFA accession nos. 13.186 - 13.245. Shipped to Warren in 1911 as "Lekythos--Signed ΓΑΛΕΣ ΕΠΟΙΕΣΕΝ" (source: private archive). Many thanks to Erin Thompson for facilitating access to this material.