Study of a White-Ground Lekythos by the Carlsruhe Painter

from Thetis cabinet (one-of-a-kind) 

This experimental study reproduces the painted decoration of an Attic white-ground lekythos attributed to the Carlsruhe Painter (ca. 460–450 BCE), in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The scene depicts Nike, the winged goddess of victory, carrying a fillet to crown a victor.

Developed at the THETIS workshop in 2025, the study explores ancient ceramic polychromy using clay-based materials inspired by archaeometric analyses of ancient pottery. Kaolin provides the white background and flesh tones, while varying mixtures of yellow ochre and kaolin produce distinct reddish, purple and orange hues during firing.

All pigments and slips were applied before firing, with the colours developing simultaneously during a single three-stage firing process, together with the characteristic Attic black gloss.

The resulting object documents an experimental approach to reconstructing ancient Greek ceramic painting techniques, rather than merely reproducing the present appearance of the original.

Dimensions H: 24,3 cm, Rim D: 5,0 cm, Max L: 8 cm