Oinochoe (Pitcher) in the Shape of a Female Head
about 450 BCE
terracotta, red-figure
6.7 × 8.9 cm (2.6 × 3.5 in)
SEE IT IN PERSON
Not currently on view
In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026
Discussion
FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG
Three manufacturing techniques were employed to produce this vessel. The lower portion, in the shape of a woman’s face, was made in a mold; the shoulder, neck, and mouth of the pitcher were formed on a potter’s wheel; and the handle was fashioned by hand. The woman's flesh and thick, centrally parted hair are the natural color of the clay, but her brows and the contours of her eyes and irises are drawn in black. Her sclerae are white, and her irises are brown.
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