Greek Trefoil-Lipped Oinochoe

We frequently view an artifact as though it were an abstract entity that exists separately from the human dimension that shapes its context. Instead of looking at the total picture we merely glance at a small fragment. This exquisite trefoil-lipped terracotta vessel was once used as a receptacle for oil or unguents. If we try, we can almost visualize the hands that once held this vessel and poured out its contents. We must remember, furthermore, that these works of art were created and used by people whose hands have long since ceased their toil. This vessel is also noteworthy for its delicate balance of beauty and utility. It exhibits a perfection of form and symmetry, traits that the Greeks admired in everything. The appealing roundness of the vessel is accented by the equidistant vertical grooves in the body. The lip of the vessel is trefoil-shaped and gives an elegant appearance to a fundamentally utilitarian vessel.