A Corinthian Oinochoe

The oinochoe is a wine jug and is one of the most common and most variable of Greek shapes. The broad-bottomed oinochoe was popular at the beginning of the 6th century. This example has a tall narrow neck with a trefoil mouth (plus lid) and a plastic "collar"; it broadens out considerably from the shoulder, and the body ends directly in a flat base.

This type of vase was favoured especially by the Dodwell Painter and his circle, who concentrated on animal friezes such as we see on the Otago example. The painting on this oinochoe is reasonably close in style to works by followers of the Dodwell Painter, and dates to about 575 - 550 B.C.

Of principal interest is the animal frieze on the body of the vase.

The animals fall into three groups comprising pairs of animals which face each other in heraldic fashion. A goat and a bird (perhaps a duck) face each other. Backing on to the bird is another goat which is opposed by a panther. The final pair consists of a ram and a lion, the lion looking rather ferociously at the ram. Scattered among the animals, filling in whatever empty space there was, are solid incised "rosettes" and dots.

The meaning of animal friezes such as this is largely lost on us nowadays. It is usual to regard them as purely ornamental, and otherwise meaningless. But it has been suggested that in other scenes the "rosettes" may signify stars. Similar scenes in earlier Near Eastern art suggest that the animals themselves might well have originally represented some of the constellations.

But it is far from clear that Greek artists took on such Eastern symbolism when they borrowed the motifs. It can still be argued that this vase painting is essentially decorative: the animals are perfunctorily drawn, and the incised "rosettes" and the long bodies of the animals are designed to use up space. This probably reflects the aim of the artist in this period - to create a rich and decorative effect quickly and easily in the interests of mass-production.