Provenance:
Private Collection, Princeton, New Jersey.
Royal-Athena Galleries, New York (Art of the Ancient World, vol. IX, no. 32), 1997.
John W. Kluge, Palm Beach and Charlottesville, acquired from the above.
Christie’s, New York, Antiquities, 7 December 2011, Lot 113.
Private Collection, Paris, France.

Note:
Originally fabricated from terracotta, the loutrophoros was initially used to carry water during bridal ceremonies and later served as tomb monuments. As Greek culture expanded throughout the Mediterranean world so did it’s building program with marble as the preferred medium. By the Late Classical Period, marble became synonymous with luxury and wealth. The loutrophoros seen here, sculpted from a large block of marble and carved in low relief with patterns of architectural ornamentation, was likely commissioned by an affluent citizen who could afford its substantial cost.

For a nearly identical example, see Marble Funerary Loutrophoros (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Inv. no. 1975.284).