Oil Flask in the Shape of a Bull
Unknown Artist
600–575 BCE or 1900s CE
Medium
ceramic
Dimensions
h. 6.5 cm, l. 8.9 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Norman O. Stone and Ella A. Stone Memorial Fund
Accession Number
1979.3
About this artwork
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...