THE LAST OUTPOURING — THRACIAN RHYTON

I reimagined a fourth-century BCE Thracian silver rhyton as an object formed from frozen burgundy wine.

The original vessel once carried wine. In this version, the wine carries the memory of the vessel. As it melts through the rhyton’s original pouring spout, the permanence of silver becomes something fragile and temporary — a ritual object disappearing during its final pour.

I began with the Met’s Open Access image and explored several treatments of transparency, frost and melting. The final version preserves the rhyton’s recognizable horns, fluted body and extended legs while transforming its material into cloudy, semi-opaque wine-ice.

Inspired by “Rhyton terminating in the forepart of a wild goat,” Thrace, ca. 4th century BCE.

Original artwork: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/326622