Lead-Glazed Skyphos

A scene with three youths decorates this lead-glazed skyphos or cup. To the left of the youths are a tree and a statue of the fertility god Priapus with his characteristic erect phallus. To the right of the youths is a flying figure of Nike, the goddess of victory. The decoration repeats on the back of the cup. The mold-made decoration on the exterior of the skyphos was meant to imitate the repoussé decoration of vessels made from precious metals, such as gold and silver, and the form of the handles derived from the same source.

A revival or rediscovery of an ancient Near Eastern pottery technique that had been out of use for centuries, lead-glazed pottery began to be produced on the coast of modern Turkey in the first century B.C. From there, production spread to other areas and continued for several centuries, but this type of pottery was never common. Lead-glazed pottery was created as a less costly alternative to vessels made from precious metals.