DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.8577#0235
METAL VASES 215
The third oinochoe is the vase in St. Louis, pi. 42,2-3 ; here again the pattern
on the foot and the form of the mouth are taken directly from a metal proto-
type. Oinochoai of this variety are, in fact, well represented among existing
bronze vases j1 what is more, an analogous vase of bronze, illustrated in pi.45,
1-2,6, was actually found at Corinth.2 This vase has not, it is true, the peculiar
form of the mouth which we see in pi. 42, but it is obviously connected with
a series of bronze vases, put together by Neugebauer, in which that form is
used. On the other hand, it shows the same motive at the upper end of the
handle, while along the handle there is a plastic snake which naturally recalls
the two oinochoai just discussed.
Now there is obviously a strong probability that a bronze vase from
Corinth will be Corinthian, and if the head from the handle of our oinochoe,
pi. 48,10, be compared with the heads from Corinthian pyxides like that shown
in pi.48,3, it will be seen that the evidence of plastic style confirms this proba-
bility in the most convincing way. There is, therefore, no reason to doubt
that the oinochoe from Corinth is Corinthian work.
Apart from its connexion with clay vases just referred to, the oinochoe from
Corinth is interesting, because it leads directly, though not immediately, to
an important series of bronze vases—the oinochoai, amphorae, and craters
decorated with the tongue-pattern, which are studied by Neugebauer in R.M.
1923 /4, 341 ff. Our vase is much earlier than any of the 'tongue-pattern'
group proper, but it certainly shows us the same style in a comparatively
primitive phase. The resemblance is not confined to the combination of
tongue-pattern in relief on the shoulder, with the double cable engraved
round the middle (cf. pi. 45, 5, Neugebauer no. 3),3 though this is significant
enough. The shape is substantially that of Neugebauer's figs. 5-7, though of
course in a much earlier form,4 and the snake on the handle has many
exact analogies in the tongue-pattern group.5 For these reasons it is im-
possible not to regard the vase from Corinth as the prototype of the 'tongue-
pattern' group; indeed I have little doubt that this would have been done
before, had it been published. It follows, therefore, that the tongue-pattern
vases, or at least some of them, may well be Corinthian. This probability is con-
firmed, though not quite conclusively, by several pieces of evidence. It is
true that Neugebauer, who was the first to reconstruct the series in question,
has put forward the opinion that they were made in southern Italy, possibly
at Taranto, but there is little evidence save that of provenances in favour of
this theory, and so many of these vases have been found in mainland Greece,
1 Cf. R.M. 1923/4, p. 351 and ff., nos. 6-8. 5, 6, &c.
2 De Ridder, Br. de la Soc. Arch, no 32; at the 4 As usual in early oinochoai, the mouth is rela-
base of the handle a heart-shaped finial, which one tively large; see p. 32, on the development of the
might have expected to be engraved with a palmette. oinochoe shape at Corinth.
3 This combination occurs on several other vases 5 Cf. pi. 45, 5, and Neugebauer's oinochoai gene-
of Neugebauer's group: no. 1 (pi. 8), nos. 9,10, figs, rally.
The third oinochoe is the vase in St. Louis, pi. 42,2-3 ; here again the pattern
on the foot and the form of the mouth are taken directly from a metal proto-
type. Oinochoai of this variety are, in fact, well represented among existing
bronze vases j1 what is more, an analogous vase of bronze, illustrated in pi.45,
1-2,6, was actually found at Corinth.2 This vase has not, it is true, the peculiar
form of the mouth which we see in pi. 42, but it is obviously connected with
a series of bronze vases, put together by Neugebauer, in which that form is
used. On the other hand, it shows the same motive at the upper end of the
handle, while along the handle there is a plastic snake which naturally recalls
the two oinochoai just discussed.
Now there is obviously a strong probability that a bronze vase from
Corinth will be Corinthian, and if the head from the handle of our oinochoe,
pi. 48,10, be compared with the heads from Corinthian pyxides like that shown
in pi.48,3, it will be seen that the evidence of plastic style confirms this proba-
bility in the most convincing way. There is, therefore, no reason to doubt
that the oinochoe from Corinth is Corinthian work.
Apart from its connexion with clay vases just referred to, the oinochoe from
Corinth is interesting, because it leads directly, though not immediately, to
an important series of bronze vases—the oinochoai, amphorae, and craters
decorated with the tongue-pattern, which are studied by Neugebauer in R.M.
1923 /4, 341 ff. Our vase is much earlier than any of the 'tongue-pattern'
group proper, but it certainly shows us the same style in a comparatively
primitive phase. The resemblance is not confined to the combination of
tongue-pattern in relief on the shoulder, with the double cable engraved
round the middle (cf. pi. 45, 5, Neugebauer no. 3),3 though this is significant
enough. The shape is substantially that of Neugebauer's figs. 5-7, though of
course in a much earlier form,4 and the snake on the handle has many
exact analogies in the tongue-pattern group.5 For these reasons it is im-
possible not to regard the vase from Corinth as the prototype of the 'tongue-
pattern' group; indeed I have little doubt that this would have been done
before, had it been published. It follows, therefore, that the tongue-pattern
vases, or at least some of them, may well be Corinthian. This probability is con-
firmed, though not quite conclusively, by several pieces of evidence. It is
true that Neugebauer, who was the first to reconstruct the series in question,
has put forward the opinion that they were made in southern Italy, possibly
at Taranto, but there is little evidence save that of provenances in favour of
this theory, and so many of these vases have been found in mainland Greece,
1 Cf. R.M. 1923/4, p. 351 and ff., nos. 6-8. 5, 6, &c.
2 De Ridder, Br. de la Soc. Arch, no 32; at the 4 As usual in early oinochoai, the mouth is rela-
base of the handle a heart-shaped finial, which one tively large; see p. 32, on the development of the
might have expected to be engraved with a palmette. oinochoe shape at Corinth.
3 This combination occurs on several other vases 5 Cf. pi. 45, 5, and Neugebauer's oinochoai gene-
of Neugebauer's group: no. 1 (pi. 8), nos. 9,10, figs, rally.