Bronze hydria fragments
Vertical handle, female protome (bust) above
The handles and foot from a hydria (water jar) are preserved because they were cast; the hammered body, being thinner and more fragile, has been lost. The bust of a woman at the juncture of the vertical handle and the lip is characteristic of bronze hydriai—and oinochoai (jugs)—from the mid-sixth century B.C. on. The motif is appropriate because hydriai were used by women. The natural integration of a figure makes the vase more than a purely functional object.