The terracotta handleless aryballos has a flared lip that is rounded slightly. The short, narrow neck curves into the bulbous body, and ends in a rounded bottom. The piece is encrusted with dirt and a white residue, a hole marring the smooth surface. 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, 452, 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.
