Loutrophoros: Portrait of a Young Woman

The loutrophoros is an elongated vase that was used in nuptial ceremonies to carry water. This particular vessel had been “defunctionalized” – a practice that involved creating vases with familiar shapes but stripped of their customary use and given a purely funerary function through their miniaturization or, as in this case, the removal of their base. It might have been placed on top of a tomb so that libations poured into it could flow directly towards the deceased. This vase was probably among the offerings for the tomb of a young, unmarried woman whose profile is depicted on the body. Indeed, the head is framed within a small temple-like structure (naiskos), a motif symbolizing the death of the person portrayed.