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Cockleshell
aryballos Terracotta, 7.3 x 4 cm, anonymous (Greek – Boeotian?), 525-475 BC J. Paul Getty Museum |
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Shells were crafted to mimic the edible cockle (Cardium edule). The aryballos, a small flask for perfumed oil, frequently received a sculptural, representational design from Greek potters. The idea of a terracotta vessel shaped like a shell may have originated from the use of real shells as containers, as archaeologists have discovered examples fitted with hinges and clasps to hold small objects. |
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