Attic Red-Figure Lekythos (Side A)

A lekythos was a container used for perfumed oils. Because it had a narrow neck, the oil poured out slowly and the cup-like mouth served as a funnel for filling the vessel. The subject and decoration of this example would have been well-suited to its precious contents. A young man holds a strigil as he looks longingly into his seated lover's eyes. She holds a mirror and sits on a chair (klismos) rendered in three-quarter view. Their loving encounter merits the approval of Aphrodite, who appears above in a chariot led by two Erotes. The goddess's appearance surprises a crowned woman at left, who stands beside a doorway before a cushioned stool. On the other side, a third woman watches the scene, holding her mantle before her face. The women's flesh, and that of the two Erotes, is rendered in white. Many added details rendered in clay relief, such as necklaces, bracelets and the lovers’ sandals, would probably have been gilded. Some have seen the couple as Paris and Helen, encountering each other for the first time, and setting in motion the events that will lead to the Trojan War. No inscription or attributes identify the figures, however, and a mythical story is not necessary to appreciate this carefully crafted vision of mutual desire.