Askos with winged erotides, exhibit of Bowdoin College
Museum of Art in Brunswick, Main, USA
This Askos, dated 480 BC, is a work of the Athenian vase painter Makron, who concentrated mainly on red figure representations. Makron was extremely productive, in his more than 30 years of work, more than 300 vase paintings are attributed to him, 330 of which are bowls.
An Askos (Greek: ἀσκός askós "tube", plural ἀσκοί askoí) is a flat, bulbous vessel from ancient times with a narrow spout on which the handle is placed on the back. It takes its name from the optical resemblance to a wine tube, but it was not used in antiquity for this vessel shape.
Askoi have been made of clay since at least the 11th century BC and, like vases, were mostly painted with figural ornaments in the style of their time. Among other things, they were used to store oil to fill lamps. The small variants with a narrow neck were used to store liquids that were used in smaller quantities, such as perfumes, honey or vinegar. They were also used for libations at funeral ceremonies.
