Attic Red-Figure Oinochoe

A young athlete squats with his hands on his knees and his weight on the balls of his feet. The object hanging behind him is an aryballos, a vessel for scented oil used for bathing after exercise, and the youth holds what appears to be a sponge.  

In the red-figure technique, where decorative elements were left in the color of the clay and the background painted black, painters typically outlined figures and decorative ornament with a thick black stripe. Normally, this is difficult to see, but it is prominent along the back of the youth and around his head. The surrounding black background has misfired, perhaps because it had been applied too thinly. 

Scholars call this vase shape a type of oinochoe, a term used to denote a pouring vessel or jug. Its mug-like form suggests it was used for drinking, ladling, or measuring liquids