Small Lekythos with Apotropaic Eyes and Howling Dog
After an Attic original, ca. 520–515 BCE – Karlsruhe, Badisches Landesmuseum
This exquisite miniature lekythos is a faithful reproduction of an ancient vase decorated using Six’s technique, a delicate method combining added white and red on a glossy black surface.
A pair of large apotropaic eyes, designed to protect against evil, dominate the front. Their elongated tear glands and downward tilt evoke the powerful style of early bilingual eye-cups.
At the center, a white dog howls upward. Though his body faces right, his head turns sharply left, in lively tension. He stands with all four feet on the red ground line, his curled tail arching over his back. A red-painted collar, red eye, and arc on his hindquarters bring this small figure vividly to life.
This vessel celebrates both artistic ingenuity and protective symbolism in early Athenian pottery.
Dimensions H: 14cm, Rim D: 3cm Max L: 7.5cm
📖Reference : The Colors of Clay : Special Techniques in Athenian Vases / Beth Cohen (Getty Museum, 2006), p. 96.