Art Institute of Chicago

Amphora (Storage Jar)

Faliscan; Latium, Italy

Date

4th century BCE

Medium

terracotta, red-figure

Culture

Central Italy

Department

Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

With its monumental proportions, white volute handles, and red-figure decoration, this amphora bears a striking resemblance to vases from Apulia on the eastern coast of southern Italy. However, this vase belongs to the Faliscan culture, the Etruscans’ southernmost neighbor in the region of modern-day Tuscany. Together, the Etruscans and Faliscans would struggle against Roman expansion. The high quality and popularity of the Faliscan wares vied with Roman ceramic production, intensifying the tension between the regions. Here a nude female hands a young warrior his armor, and around the neck are sea-creatures.

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