Greek Rhyton Cups Photos

Rhyton (pl. rhyta) are ceramic (sometimes metal) cups for libations shaped so they cannot be set down without spilling the contents. Rhytons mostly take the form of animal heads, but other unusual shapes were used. Included are small pouring vessels for comparison.

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Mycenaean pottery rhyton in form of bull's head found in tomb on Karpathos at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.Terracotta red figure rhyton in form of Dionysus holding drinking cup made in Athens at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.Etruscan-Corinthian earthenware vase in shape of human leg painted with friezes of birds at Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto, ON.Greek terracotta red-figure drinking vessel in form of head of Satyr at Antikensammlungen. Munich, Germany.
Mycenaean pottery rhyton in form of bull's head (1300-1200 BCE) found in tomb on Karpathos at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.Terracotta red figure rhyton in form of Dionysus holding drinking cup (500-490 BCE) made in Athens at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.Etruscan-Corinthian earthenware vase (rhyton?) in shape of human leg painted with friezes of birds (c580 BCE) at Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto, ON.Greek terracotta red-figure drinking vessel in form of head of Satyr (c440 BCE) at Antikensammlungen. Munich, Germany.
Ram-head Greek ceramic red-figure rhyton attrib. to Brygos Painter at Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH.Ram-head ceramic rhyton attrib. to Sotades made in Athens modeled on metal version captured from defeated Persians in 479 BCE at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.Ancient Greek red-figured ram's head rhyton at Museum of Fine Arts. Boston, MA.Rhyton in form of head of ram from Taranto at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.
Ram-head Greek ceramic red-figure rhyton (480-470 BCE) attrib. to Brygos Painter at Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH.Ram-head ceramic rhyton (470-460 BCE) attrib. to Sotades made in Athens modeled on metal version captured from defeated Persians in 479 BCE at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.Ancient Greek red-figured ram's head rhyton (c450 BCE) at Museum of Fine Arts. Boston, MA.Rhyton in form of head of ram (c350-340 BCE) from Taranto at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.
Greek silver & gold bull's head ceremonial cup from Eastern Mediterranean at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Greek terracotta red-figure drinking cup in form of bull's head from Tarentum, Southern Italy at RISD Museum. Providence, RI.Rhyton in form of head of cow from Taranto at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Greek terracotta Rhyton in shape of bull's head at Louvre Museum. Paris, France.
Greek silver & gold bull's head ceremonial cup (c100 BCE - 100 CE) from Eastern Mediterranean at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Greek terracotta red-figure drinking cup (rhyton) in form of bull's head (after 350 BCE) from Tarentum, Southern Italy at RISD Museum. Providence, RI.Rhyton in form of head of cow (c350-330 BCE) from Taranto at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Greek terracotta Rhyton (ritual drinking cup) in shape of bull's head at Louvre Museum. Paris, France.
Pottery Rhyton in form of bull's head from Apulia or Campania, Southern Italy at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Montreal, QC.Rhyton in form of head of horse from southern Italy at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Athenian rhyton in form of head of donkey in bridle attrib. Painter of Colmar at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Rhyton in form of galloping horse from Campania, Italy at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.
Pottery Rhyton in form of bull's head (300-200 BCE Hellenistic period) from Apulia or Campania, Southern Italy at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Montreal, QC.Rhyton in form of head of horse (c450 BCE) from southern Italy at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Athenian rhyton in form of head of donkey in bridle (c500-480 BCE) attrib. Painter of Colmar at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Rhyton in form of galloping horse (4thC BCE) from Campania, Italy at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.
Greek terracotta red figure Rhyton in shape of sheep's head from Apulia, Italy at Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL.Greek rhyton in form of African attacked by crocodile attrib. Sotades at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Greek rhyton in form of African attacked by crocodile attrib. Sotades at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Greek ceramic rhyton as head of griffon at Kunsthistorisches Museum. Vienna, Austria.
Greek terracotta red figure Rhyton (drinking vessel) in shape of sheep's head (c340-330 BCE) from Apulia, Italy at Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL.Greek rhyton in form of African attacked by crocodile (c470-460 BCE) attrib. Sotades at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Greek rhyton in form of African attacked by crocodile (c470-460 BCE) attrib. Sotades at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Greek ceramic rhyton as head of griffon (c400 BCE) at Kunsthistorisches Museum. Vienna, Austria.
Rhyton in form of head of griffon from Taranto at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Greek ceramic rhyton as head of goat at Kunsthistorisches Museum. Vienna, Austria.Vase in form of dolphin from Apulia, Italy at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Guttus in form of lobster from Apulia, Italy at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.
Rhyton in form of head of griffon (c330-300 BCE) from Taranto at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Greek ceramic rhyton as head of goat (c400 BCE) at Kunsthistorisches Museum. Vienna, Austria.Vase in form of dolphin (c350-330 BCE) from Apulia, Italy at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Guttus (Pouring Vessel) in form of lobster (c350-330 BCE) from Apulia, Italy at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.
Guttus in form of shell of murex from Apulia, Italy at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Greek terracotta perfume jar in shape of Minotaur from Ionia at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Apulian Rhyton in shape of hound's head from Tarsas at Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto, ON.Boar-head ceramic rhyton attrib. to Sotades made in Athens at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.
Guttus (Pouring Vessel) in form of shell of murex (c350-330 BCE) from Apulia, Italy at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Greek terracotta perfume jar in shape of Minotaur (580-560 BCE) from Ionia at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Apulian Rhyton in shape of hound's head (c330-300 BCE) from Tarsas at Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto, ON.Boar-head ceramic rhyton (c460 BCE) attrib. to Sotades made in Athens at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.
Side view of Boar-head ceramic rhyton attrib. to Sotades made in Athens at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.Greek terracotta oil container in form of boar from Apulia, Southern Italy at RISD Museum. Providence, RI.Greek terracotta oil flask in shape of owl from Corinth at Antikensammlungen. Munich, Germany.Pottery vase in form of duck from Eastern Greece at University of Missouri Museum of Art & Archaeology. Columbia, MO.
Side view of Boar-head ceramic rhyton (c460 BCE) attrib. to Sotades made in Athens at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.Greek terracotta oil container in form of boar (late 4th- early 3rdC BCE) from Apulia, Southern Italy at RISD Museum. Providence, RI.Greek terracotta oil flask in shape of owl (c630 BCE) from Corinth at Antikensammlungen. Munich, Germany.Pottery vase in form of duck (c600-580 BCE) from Eastern Greece at University of Missouri Museum of Art & Archaeology. Columbia, MO.
Etruscan-Ionian earthenware cup in shape of eagle's head at Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto, ON.Ceramic black-figure lekythos from Campania attrib. to the Asteas/Pylon at Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH.Collection of ancient Greek ceramic rhyton drinking cups at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Collection of ancient Greek ceramic rhyton drinking cups at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.
Etruscan-Ionian earthenware cup (rhyton) in shape of eagle's head (580-560 BCE) at Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto, ON.Ceramic black-figure lekythos (330-300 BCE) from Campania attrib. to the Asteas/Pylon at Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH.Collection of ancient Greek ceramic rhyton drinking cups at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Collection of ancient Greek ceramic rhyton drinking cups at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.
Etruscan mug in shape of African Boy & Etruscan black glazed rhyton in form of galloping horse from Vulci, Italy at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.Parthian silver, gold & garnet spouted horn with lion at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Roman blown glass drinking horn terminating in deer's head made in Italy at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.Etruscan carved alabaster cinerary urn lid with reclining man holding horse rhyton prob. from Volterra at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.
Etruscan mug in shape of African Boy (head-kantharos) (c325-275 BCE) & Etruscan black glazed rhyton in form of galloping horse (300-200 BCE) from Vulci, Italy at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.Parthian silver, gold & garnet spouted horn (rhyton) with lion (100-1 BCE) at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Roman blown glass drinking horn (rhyton) terminating in deer's head (50-125 CE) made in Italy at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.Etruscan carved alabaster cinerary urn lid with reclining man holding horse rhyton (200-100 BCE) prob. from Volterra at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.
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All photos on this page are originals by & copyrighted by Jim Steinhart.
All rights reserved. Permission required to use.

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