Oil Flask in the Shape of a Bull

600–575 BCE or 1900s CE

Greek, Corinthian or modern forgery

Medium

ceramic

Measurements

Overall: 6.5 cm (2 9/16 in.)

Credit Line

Norman O. Stone and Ella A. Stone Memorial Fund 1979.3

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

The curled tail masks a filling hole atop the back.

Description

This small bull-shaped flask is similar in form and painted decoration to a class of figure-shaped perfume vessels created during the late seventh and early sixth centuries BC in Greece and Italy (especially Corinth, Rhodes, and Etruria). The stippled body decoration characterizes such vases from multiple sites, while the light-colored clay and inconspicuous orifice placement are typical of Corinth. But no other reclining bulls are known among such vases (and only a few bullheads or upper bodies), raising questions about authenticity. A 1986 analysis determined that this object had been recently fired, and a 2020 clay analysis placed its origin in the Catalonia region of Spain, far from any known ancient production area for such flasks.