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Perfume vase (aryballos) in the form of a monkey mother and child
Greek
Archaic Period
6th century B.C.
Medium/Technique
Ceramic
Dimensions
Height: 10 cm (3 15/16 in.)
Credit Line
Otis Norcross Fund
Accession Number1976.746
CollectionsAncient Greece and Rome
ClassificationsVessels
DescriptionThis aryballos takes the form of a monkey holding its child. The older monkey sits with its legs crossed and wraps its arms around the child, while the child reaches out and grabs the neck of its parent. Both animals are decorated with dots, a type of stippling that likely indicates their hair. Both monkeys also wear molded collars. Each monkey has a hole in the top of its head, enabling it to function as a usable vessel.
ProvenanceBy 1976: with Mathias Komor, 19 East 71st Street, New York, N.Y. 10021; purchased by MFA from Mathias Komor, November 18, 1976