This is an adorable piece of pottery. As an askos,
it would have traditionally been used for pouring
oil. However, this vessel has taken on the
untraditional form of a pig. The snout served as
a spout while the oil would have been loaded
through the mouth at the top. There is a small
ring handle on the side. The pig’s belly is
decorated with a wavy incised line and painted
white ivy leaves. White paint is also used to
depict the alert eyes and brows. The little curly
tail and the pointed erect ears reveal the
attention the potter paid to naturalistic details.
While pottery and functional vessels often took
the form of animals, few are quite so entirely
successful. In the end, this is not a pouring jar in
the shape of a pig; but a pig in the form of a
pouring jar.
- (PF.5555)
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