Skip to contentSkip to navigation

Hermonax

Red-figure Lekythos: Libation Scene

Artist

Hermonax
Active in Attica, Greece, 475-450 B.C.E.

Title

Red-figure Lekythos: Libation Scene

Materials

Earthenware, painted decoration

Dimensions

30.7 cm (h.), 10.9 cm (diam.)

Credits

Gift of Lisa Newman Greenspan in memory of David Beryl Greenspan, inv. 2013.651

Collection

Archeology and World Cultures

Performing a libation was a simple gesture denoting reverence to the gods. This gesture was often done by pouring a mixture of water and wine (as well as other things, such as honey or olive oil) as an offering to the gods followed by the invocation of a prayer. As a simple performance of piety to calm and appease the gods, it was enacted in many everyday ritualistic contexts. Other types of libations, such as apotropaic libations, were considered to ward off evil or harm, and these would have been carried out before war, a voyage or a peace pact.

Add a touch of culture to your inbox
Subscribe to the Museum newsletter

Bourgie Hall Newsletter sign up