Loutrophoros

A loutrophoros (Ancient Greek: λουτροφόρος, romanized: loutrophóros, lit. 'loutrophoros'; Greek etymology: λουτρόν/loutron and φέρω/pherō, English translation: "bathwater" and "carry") is a distinctive type of Greek pottery vessel characterized by an elongated neck with two handles. The loutrophoros was used to carry water for a bride's pre-nuptial ritual bath, and in funeral rituals, and was placed in the tombs of the unmarried.^[1] The loutrophoros itself is a motif for Greek tombstones, either as a relief (for instance, the lekythos on the Stele of Panaetius) or as a stone vessel. There are many in the funeral area at the Kerameikos in Athens, some of which are now preserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

Protoattic loutrophoros-amphora by the Analatos Painter, c. 680 BC, Louvre (CA 1960)

Gallery

• 
  Attic black-figure loutrophoros-hydria; late 6th century BC
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  Attic black-figure loutrophoros-amphora with a prothesis scene, 510–500 BC
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  Keramikos Museum, Athens, Marble loutrophoros from the grave of Agathon and Sosykrates
• 
  Apulian egg-shaped loutrophoros (Apulian typus I, variant I), 330 BC
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  Oversize ("huge") Apulian cylinder-shaped loutrophoros (Apulian typus II, variant I), 330 BC
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  Apulian cylinder-shaped loutrophoros (Apulian typus II, variant II) by the Baltimore Painter; c. 330 BC; Museo Arqueológico Nacional de España (1998/92/2)

See also

• Ancient Greek vase painting
• Pottery of ancient Greece