Bronze handle of a hydria (water jar)

Unknown

ca. 460–450 BCE · Bronze · Greek and Roman Art

The attachment at the bottom of the vertical handle is in the form of a siren. Part woman, part bird of prey, sirens were not only guardians of tombs but also creatures notorious for their seductive songs. The figure here is executed with the utmost refinement and appears delicately enmeshed in the surrounding spiral ornaments.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 460–450 BCE

Medium

Bronze

Culture

Greek

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1909