Hydria (Water Jar) c. 450

This Attic black-figure hydria, or water jar, from around 450 BCE depicts a scene of women performing a ritual. The figures are painted in silhouette with details like the folds of their garments picked out in red. The black-figure technique, which was popular from the 7th to the 5th centuries BCE, is a stark contrast to the later red-figure style. This piece is currently on view at the Art Institute of Chicago.