Early Greek Pottery Vessel in Siren Form

Ancient Greece, probably Corinth or Rhodian, ca. 6th century BCE. A charmingly-shaped ceramic vessel in the form of a siren, with a long body shaped like an avian with protruding tailfeathers, perhaps a dove, while the neck of the vessel assumes the form of a raised human head with modeled facial features. Ancient Greek vessels presenting zoomorphic shapes, like this example, made attractive containers for coveted aromatic oils and perfumes in ancient Greece. Size: 4.125" L x 3.375" H (10.5 cm x 8.6 cm)

Our first knowledge of sirens comes from the Odyssey, when the creatures called to sailors by singing in "honey-sweet voices" and promising them great knowledge; the island they lived upon was described as littered with the bones of men lured to their death in this manner. Sirens, though mentioned were not actually physically described in the Odyssey. Given this, scholars believe that Greeks were inspired by fantastical Near Eastern winged creatures, which were in turn inspired by the ba-bird of Egyptian mythology. Interestingly, the female siren figure was uniquely Greek. Sirens were associateed with ideas about death, mourning, and the underworld, although their role changed from the murderesses of the Odyssey to mourners by the 5th century BCE. Scholars have suggested that this was possibly because of a newfound fear of life after death that entered Greek consciousness in the 6th century BCE.

Provenance: The Dere Family Collection, New York, USA, assembled 1970s-2000s; ex-William Froelich Collection, New York, USA, acquired in 1970s

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#142146
Condition Report: Professionally repaired from multiple pieces with restoration over the break lines. Nice mineral deposits grace the surface. Tiny perforation on interior or rim.