A beautiful Greek cockleshell aryballos

A beautiful Greek cockleshell aryballos, c. 525 - 475 BC, the body in the form of a cockleshell, with narrow neck flanked by looped handles and flared mouth with wide flat rim. The body beautifully formed and slipped white with a red painted border, the upper portion of the vessel with glossy orange surfaces. 6 ½ in x 5 ½ in (16.4 x 13.8 cm). This aryballos would likely have been used as a perfumery vessel, as the cockle and other bivalves were commonly associated with the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, making this a rather appropriately themed vessel form. A fantastic and rare Greek form and this example is well-preserved with light deposits. Ex collection of Lawrence Buchanan and Dr. Enrique von Kiguel formed throughout the 1970's-80's.

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