Only 11.4 centimeters high, this Attic oil flask carries two concentrated signs of Athens: a bust of Athena and an olive sprig. The choice suits the vessel’s function. Image and contents could recall the relationship between the goddess, the tree, and the city.
The museum dates the lekythos broadly to the fifth century BCE and identifies its technique as red-figure. Its small size invites a different kind of attention from a monumental statue. The viewer encounters the goddess through an object that could be held in the hand.
Look at how little is needed for recognition. A divine figure and a plant establish a connection that longer narratives explain through Athena’s contest with Poseidon and her gift to Athens.