Greek Wine Jug, ca. 900-700 BC
This ceramic wine jug (oinochoe) from ancient Greece is covered with elements of symbolic significance and others of purely decorative intent, such as the concentric circles on the sides. The RISD example is one of only 15 vessels known in the world attributed to the Concentric Circle Group and one of only two in American collections.

Vessels used for eating and drinking were typical grave gifts in the Geometric period (900-700 BC). This jug was probably one such offering, perhaps used at the graveside meal or for pouring wine to extinguish the funeral pyre. The central panel is painted with a scene of two tethered horses. A young goat jumps above the horses’ heads, while two water birds hover. Another water bird is tucked below the handle, which is decorated with a wavy line representing a snake. The snake — dividing its time between earth’s surface and the underground — was commonly associated with death, while water birds often adorned vessels associated with drinking. The horse was a symbol of status and wealth during the 8th century BC, since only owners of large tracts of large could afford to keep horses.

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