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Askos in the Form of a Duck
(Ancient Greece )
This askos is in the shape of a duck. Crafted from a soft yellow clay, the details of the duck’s eyes, beak, wings patterned with a variety of feather-types were executed with a black glaze. On the top of the duck’s body, under the handle, the artist painted four dolphins surrounding a black circle.
Askoi, or vases in the shapes of animals, can be traced back to Geometric Greece and Iron Age Italy. Later, askoi in the shape of ducks enjoyed a special popularity in Etruria. These probably served as perfume vessels, dispensing scented oils.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Don Marcello Massarenti Collection, Rome [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1902, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Geographies
Italy, Etruria (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 5 3/8 × L: 7 3/8 × W: 2 15/16 in. (13.7 × 18.8 × 7.5 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters with the Massarenti Collection, 1902
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
48.4