Attic Pottery - Black Gloss Ware: Black Gloss Askos
Inv. No.: 72.007
Provenance: Attica
Date: c. 400 BC
Height: 77mm
Length: 82mm
Gift of Dr Stanley Castlehow
The body of this small black askos is shaped like a knuckle-bone or astragalus, a symbol of good luck in Ancient Greece. The name "askos" comes from the Greek word for a wineskin, but it was not used for vases of this type in Ancient Greece. The term is used today for squat, closed vases that have a spout and a handle to control pouring. The spout on this vase is placed in the centre of the top of body and leans at a slight angle towards the pointed end of the knuckle-bone. It has a narrow neck and flaring mouth with a squarish lip. The flat strap handle is made from two flattened coils of clay that have been joined together, but not completely smoothed, so that a groove remains in the centre. The handle passes from just below the lip on the spout to the top of the rounded end of the knuckle-bone shape. Before being attached, a double or Herakles knot was tied in the middle of the handle; it is situated where the handle curves around and down onto the body of the vase. The vase is in good condition with a repair on the lip and slight wear in places. The black is shiny except for inside the mouth where it is rather dull.
Function:
A container for oil, perfume or condiments used in small quantities.
Manufacture:
The body of the vase was probably made using a mould, the spout was thrown on a potter wheel and the handle was shaped by hand. The parts were then joined, using slip, as they began to harden.
Bibliography:
Herrmann, J. J., Jr., In the Shadow of the Acropolis: Popular and Private Art in 4th Century Athens, exhibition catalogue, Brockton, Brockton Art Museum/Fuller Memorial, 1984, 48-49.
Kanowski, M.G., The Antiquities Collection, catalogue, Department of Classics and Ancient History, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, 1978, 38. , Charles Ede Catalogue, 1972, No. 13.
Pottery from Athens 750-350 BC
Sparkes, B. A. and L. Talcott, The Athenian Agora: Volume XII. Black and Plain Pottery of the 6th, 5th and 4th centuries B.C.: Part 1. Text, Princeton, New Jersey, The American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 1970, 123 (re Herakles knot plus further bibliography).
Comparanda:
Breitenstein, N. and K. F. Johansen, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Danemark 7, Copenhague 7 (1955), IV, Plate 280, 9 and 10 (very similar vases).
Büsing-Kolbe, A., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Deutschland 43, Mainz 2 (1978), Tafel 32, 1 (South Italian; similar vase with different handle and spout placement).
Herrmann, J. J., Jr., In the Shadow of the Acropolis: Popular and Private Art in 4th Century Athens, exhibition catalogue, Brockton, Brockton Art Museum/Fuller Memorial, 1984, No. 57 (very similar vase; late 5th or early 4th century BC).
Mayence, F. and V. Verhoogen, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Belgique 33, Bruxelles 3 (1949), IV E, Plate 3, 33 (similar vase with different handle and spout placement).
Walters, H. B., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Great Britain 5, British Museum 4 (1929), Plates 26 and 27 (vase in the shape of a knuckle-bone; perhaps a container for knuckle-bones).
Sparkes, B. A. and L. Talcott, The Athenian Agora: Volume XII. Black and Plain Pottery of the 6th, 5th and 4th centuries B.C.: Part 2. Indexes and Illustrations, Princeton, New Jersey, The American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 1970, Plate 29, 716 (Herakles knot on a kantharos).