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Image for Rhyton in the Form of a Horse's Head
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Rhyton in the Form of a Horse's Head Thumbnail
Rhyton in the Form of a Horse's Head Thumbnail

Rhyton in the Form of a Horse's Head

Greek (Artist)
4th century BCE (Hellenistic)
terracotta, mold made; white slipped
(Ancient Greece )

The mold-made lower portion of this drinking vessel was attached to the wheel-thrown neck prior to firing. The style of this rhyton indicates that it was made in the Greek colonies of southern Italy. Rhyta were produced in a variety of head shapes, including human; rams, mules, horses, deer, and griffins were especially popular. When lifted to the face for a drink, these rhyta might appear to be fabulous masks, but this delicate cup may not have been meant for daily use and may instead have been made as a funerary offering.

Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.

Eleanor Blodgett, New York, by 1924, [mode of acquisition unknown]; Joseph Brummer Gallery, Inc., New York, 1924, by purchase; Henry Walters, Baltimore, by purchase, 1925; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Conservation

Date Description Narrative
5/19/2017 Examination inpainted; media consolidation
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Geographies

Italy, Apulia, Magna Graecia, Tarentum (Place of Origin)

Measurements

L: 8 1/16 × W: 3 3/8 × D: 4 5/16 in. (20.4 × 8.5 × 11 cm)

Credit Line

Acquired by Henry Walters, 1924

Location in Museum

Charles Street: Second Floor: Collector's Study

Accession Number

In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.

48.207

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Hours

  • Wednesday—Sunday: 10 a.m.—5 p.m.
  • Thursday: 1–8 p.m.
  • Monday—Tuesday: Closed

Location

600 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD
21201

Phone

410-547-9000

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