The ceramic handleless aryballos has a flared lip, a short narrow neck that curves into the bulbous body, and a rounded bottom. The piece is dirty and discolored with orange and beige spots. It is uncommon for aryballoi to lack a handle, or to possess this shape, nevertheless, without further information, this may be a regional variation.
On December 3, 2015 this item was analyzed via portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) along with nos. 447, 453, and 454, revealing relatively high levels of iron (Fe) along with lower amounts of calcium (Ca), potassium (K), titanium (Ti), silicon (Si), manganese (Mn), and nickel (Ni). In addition to the similarity in form, the relative commonality of elemental make-up between the four handleless aryballoi seems to point to a level of standardization in production as well as being made from a similar clay base, though further analysis is required to prove this.
