Cleveland Museum of Art

Oil Flask in the Shape of a Bull

Date

600–575 BCE or 1900s CE

Medium

ceramic

Culture

Greek, Corinthian or modern forgery

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This small bull-shaped flask is similar in form and painted decoration to a class of figure-shaped perfume vessels created during the late seventh and early sixth centuries BC in Greece and Italy (especially Corinth, Rhodes, and Etruria). The stippled body decoration characterizes such vases from multiple sites, while the light-colored clay and inconspicuous orifice placement are typical of Corinth. But no other reclining bulls are known among such vases (and only a few bullheads or upper bodies), raising questions about authenticity. A 1986 analysis determined that this object had been recently fired, and a 2020 clay analysis placed its origin in the Catalonia region of Spain, far from any known ancient production area for such flasks. The curled tail masks a filling hole atop the back.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.