Aryballos (Container for Oil) c. late to early 6th century

This small vessel from the ancient Eastern Mediterranean was made to contain oil. We call such vessels ‘aryballos’ after the Ancient Greek term. Its pleasing, rounded shape and the delicate, horizontally-applied decoration give it a precious feel. It speaks to the importance of oil in the daily lives of people living around the Mediterranean. But beyond this, we must consider the wider social context. Was it used for perfumed oils by wealthy elites, or for more mundane unguents among those lower down the social scale? Perhaps it was buried as a grave good for someone of middling status. To answer these questions, historians draw on archaeological reports, records of manufacture and trade, and artistic depictions. These sources help us to understand the meaning of art as something that is always contingent on social and institutional context.