Jug, shape no. 1420

The askos vessel form was first developed in ancient Greece and was used in the ancient Mediterranean region to store and pour small amounts of liquids like oil. Stimulated by archeological discoveries, this form was celebrated and reproduced by designers and manufacturers from the late 18th century onwards. Realized in ceramic, glass, and metal versions in both Europe and North America, these new versions were often intended as wine servers. This Minton version seems to have been inspired by the shape of Roman askos examples from about the 1st century CE, which had been made in both ceramic and metal. The British manufacturer’s designers added decorative details inspired by European Renaissance and baroque art – a siren or mermaid figure, putti, and a grotesque Pan mask – to the ancient vessel shape to realize a design that was both playful and contemporary when it was introduced around 1868. The form and bacchanalian motifs like the mask, putti, and ivy vine nod to the use likely intended for the Minton model, to serve wine.

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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.

Joan Stacke Graham, New York City, by 1989, [mode of acquisition unknown]; sale, Doyle Auctioneers & Appraisers, New York City, 4 April 2023, lot 51; purchased by Deborah and Philip English, Baltimore, 2023; given to the Walters Art Museum, 2024.