Head Vase (Kantharos)
Datecirca 450 B.C.E.
MediumEarthenware with slip-painted decoration
DimensionsHeight: 8 1/8 in. (20.6 cm)
Credit LineThe F.B. Tarbell Collection, Gift of E.P. Warren, 1902
Object number1967.115.353
Status
Not on viewThis kantharos, or drinking cup, has several features that call its authenticity into question, including the extreme asymmetry of the facial features, and the fact that its proportions do not precisely match those of any other ancient head-kantharos. The painted veins simulating crack-lines along the top half of the headband also suggest the piece is a forgery. The kantharos may have been made in Italy in the late 1800s on the model of ancient Etruscan prototypes, for the sharp, pointy noses and narrow jaw-lines correspond to certain Etruscan statuary heads.
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late 2nd - early 1st century B.C.E.
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