Exaleiptra are containers primarily for aromatic oils, ointments and perfumes, which had to be used sparingly. The contents of the vessel could be bath oil or liquid soap, which could be removed from the basin by dabbing. Numerous Attic red-figure vase paintings attest to the use of exaleiptra in female chamber scenes. Exaleiptra also played a role in the cult of the dead, as vase paintings of white-ground lekyths attest. (AVS)
Former collection Erhart Käster, Wolfenbüttel