Context: Based on a description of the tomb’s contents by A. De Agostino (1960: 441) it is possible this comes from Tomb II in Tinoni. Restored from several fragments.

This specimen belongs to a popular shape of red-figure askoi that are usually described as “duck or “bird” askoi that were widely produced throughout North Etruria from the 4^th and 3rd centuries BCE. They are commonly associated with Chiusi and Volterra, but imitations were also produced elsewhere. The example from Vescovado has some similarities with these but is distinctive.

Unusually, the spout is positioned between neck and the strap handle, whereas in most other examples it is placed below the handle. The body of the bird is attached to a ring base. The head of the bird is simple with a short beak that is cylinder shaped and contains the the aperture for the pouring of the liquid is from the beak. The cylindrical beak is more common in examples from Volterra (e.g. Museo Etrusco Guarnacci, No. 69). The beak and large eyes are painted with a matt black gloss. This same gloss is used to represent the feathers on the body. The plumage around the breast and underneath the bird is represented with overlapping ovoidal shapes with a dot in centre, while the wings are shown through simple horizontal bands (Musée du Louvre, No. h 102). These are again more consistent with examples from Volterra than Chiusi, however, no precise comparanda is known from either location and this might well be the creation of another regional producer.

Similar examples are known from Asciano where they are interpreted as having being produced at Chiusi, as is an example from nearby Grotti (Mangani 1983: 93, no. 2). See Del Chiaro 1984 for Volterran comparada. Also, Harrari 1980: 133.

Date: Late-4^th to early-3^rd century BCE.

• Full Profile
• Whole Vessel

• Bird
• Duck