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Identification and Creation

Object Number
1975.53
Title
Oil flask (aryballos) in the form of a hedgehog
Classification
Vessels
Work Type
vessel
Date
6th century BCE
Places
Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Asia, Ionia
Period
Archaic period
Culture
Greek
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/288567

Location

Location
Level 3, Room 3740, Ancient Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Art, Ancient Egypt: Art for Eternity
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Physical Descriptions

Medium
Faience
Technique
Mold-made
Dimensions
5.4 cm h x 4.3 cm w x 6.1 cm l (2 1/8 x 1 11/16 x 2 3/8 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Richard Sommer, Montreal, Canada, (by 1969), sold; to [Petit Musée, Dealers in Antiquities, Montreal, Canada (1969-1975)], sold; to the Fogg Museum.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, David M. Robinson Fund
Accession Year
1975
Object Number
1975.53
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Commentary
Re-View Exhibition, Spring 2008, gallery label information:

This aryballos, a container for scented oils, depicts a species of hedgehog native to Egypt, where the animal's ability to curl up defensively made it a popular apotropaic symbol. Along with the shape, Greek artisans borrowed the material from Egyptian sources: faience is a quartz-based, self-glazing ceramic.

Exhibition History

  • Re-View: S422 Ancient & Byzantine Art & Numismatics, Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 04/12/2008 - 06/18/2011
  • 32Q: 3740 Egyptian, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 06/01/2022 - 05/01/2026

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu