Tleson facts for kids

An ancient Greek drinking cup (kylix) that might have been made by Tleson's workshop.

Tleson was an ancient Greek potter who lived and worked in Attica (a region in Greece) around 555 to 535 BC. He might have also been a painter who decorated pots using the black-figure style.

Tleson came from a family of artists. His dad, Nearchos, was also a famous potter, and his brother was Ergoteles.

His workshop mainly made a type of cup called 'Little-master cups'. Most of the pots from his workshop were painted by an artist known as the 'Tleson Painter'. We don't know their real name, but they are called that because they worked closely with Tleson. A famous art expert, John Beazley, thought that Tleson and the Tleson Painter might actually be the same person. This is because all the pots painted by the 'Tleson Painter' also have Tleson's name on them. But there's no definite proof for this idea. Other artists, like Oltos and the Centaur Painter, also decorated some of Tleson's pots.

Tleson's Pottery Creations

Tleson's workshop was well-known for making different kinds of ancient Greek pottery. They mostly created 'Little-master cups', which were popular drinking cups. They also made other types of vessels like pyxides (small boxes with lids) and band cups.

Where to Find Tleson's Works

Today, you can find pots made by Tleson or his workshop in museums all over the world. These include:

• The Agora Museum and National Museum in Athens, Greece.
• The British Museum in London, UK.
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, USA.
• The Musée National du Louvre in Paris, France.
• The J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu, USA.
• The Antikensammlung in Berlin, Germany.
• The Antikensammlung in Munich, Germany.

These museums display fragments and complete cups that show the amazing skill of ancient Greek potters and painters like Tleson and his team.

Images for kids

• 

  A closer look at the details on a kylix.

See also

In Spanish: Tlesón para niños