Maiden carries clay pot

Maidens carrying water are among the oldest subjects of Greek sculpture and vase painting. The Hydriaphoros — the water-carrier — was a ritual role for unmarried girls in the festivals of the Panathenaia at Athens, where they led processions to the Acropolis bearing the sacred water for the goddess. The figure type passed from cult to genre, becoming a beloved subject of Hellenistic and Roman sculpture for the simple grace it brought to a body in motion under a weight that demanded poise above all.