Terracotta stirrup jar with octopus
Details
- Palette
-
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- Medium
- Terracotta
- Dimensions
- H. 10 1/4 in. (26 cm); diameter 8 7/16 in. (21.5 cm)
- Origin
- Helladic, Mycenaean
- Department
- Greek and Roman Art
- Holding institution
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Image provider
- metropolitan-museum-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Purchase, Louise Eldridge McBurney Gift, 1953
Art Genome Taxonomy
8 tags
Subject Matter
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Animals Both · 99%
The museum metadata identifies fish and octopus as subjects, and the image visibly shows an octopus with curling tentacles and fish motifs on the vessel.
Visual Qualities
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Curvilinear Forms Visual · 98%
The octopus tentacles, spirals, looping bands, and rounded vessel contours are dominated by flowing curved lines.
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Patterns Visual · 97%
Repeated spirals, bands, rosette-like motifs, fish, and articulated tentacle markings produce a strongly patterned painted surface.
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Highly Ornamented Visual · 94%
The visible body and shoulder are extensively covered with painted decoration, leaving comparatively limited areas of undecorated ceramic ground.
Time Periods
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Ancient Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog dates the object to circa 1200–1100 BCE, placing it within ancient art.
Materials
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Terracotta Both · 99%
The catalog identifies terracotta as the medium, consistent with the visible fired earthenware body and warm buff-orange ceramic surface.
Cultural and Religious Styles
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Greek Art and Architecture Metadata · 89%
The recorded place of origin is Helladic, Mycenaean, supporting classification within Greek art.
Tableware, Vessels, and Objects
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Vase Both · 99%
The catalog classifies the object as a stirrup jar and vase; the image clearly shows a rounded vessel with a narrow foot, paired neck elements, and a connecting handle.
Source & rights
Unknown artist. Terracotta stirrup jar with octopus. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.