Ancient Greece, Athens, attributed to the manner of the Haimon Painter, ca. early 5th century BCE. An exceptional Haimonian Attic lekythos (oil flask) of an elegant slender form depicting three figures, the central one standing before a horse or possibly a donkey in reference to the story of Dionysos subduing Hephaistos with wine and then putting him on a donkey to return to Mount Olympus, flanked by two seated women, all created via the black-figure technique. This is an example of the classic style of a lekythos, with a narrow neck, slender body, a small but deep mouth, and a single handle joining the neck to the shoulder of the vessel. In addition to the main iconography, there are also frets on the shoulder and decorative bands highlighting the groundline of the scene and the base. An elegant example replete with fine artistry and technique as well was intriguing iconography. Size: 1.875" W x 7.75" H (4.8 cm x 19.7 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.

The Haimon Painter was an Athenian vase painter (ca. 490 BCE - 460 BCE) whose true name is unknown; however, certain characteristics of his style have led scholars to identify his unique approach. He was a prolific black-figure vase painter who specialized in painting scenes on lekythoi during a period when red-figure vase painters were first emerging. According to the British Museum, "Beazley called him the Haimon Painter following Haspels ABL, who first assembled the work of the painter on the basis of style and named the painter after the subject of the Sphinx with her victim that he painted four times. Haimon, the son of Creon (q.v.), was the last and fairest victim of the Sphinx."

See a similar example attributed to the Haimon Painter in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (accession number 41.162.226)

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

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#127652

Repaired from several pieces with areas or restoration and repainting over the break lines. Small chips to base and a few scuffs here and there.