ARCHAIC PLASTIC VASES FROM ISTHMIA (PLATES 53-60) FEWER THAN TWENTY completea nd fragmentaryA rchaicp lastic vases were found in the excavations conductedb y the University of Chicago at Isthmia between 1952 and 1967.1 They are all of recognizablyC orinthian fabric and represent only a tiny percentageo f the mass of Corinthian pottery found in the excavationsi n the Sanctuaryo f Poseidon. Plastic vases in the forms of common animals, mythical creatures,a nd human figures were produceda t Corinth beginning in the Protocorinthianp eriod and continuing into the Middle Corinthian period of the 6th century B.C.T hey were exported far and wide and appear whereverC orinthianp otteryi s found. Their small mouths and the elegant shapes of the most carefully made examples have led to the assumption that they were exported as much for their contents as for themselves. As a class they are relatively rare; perhaps no more than four hundred or so are known at the present time. Figure vases are found in all sorts of contexts. The greater number show up in graves, especially when they have been importedf rom far away, but some are also found in domesticc ontexts.A few, as at Isthmia, are found in sanctuaries,w here they are assumedt o be dedications,a lthough the use of their contentsi n cult practicei s a possibility.2 1 The traditionalt erm "plasticv ase",d erivedf rom the word 7rXao-Tr&"'f ormedo r molded",i s not a happy one, not only because it is perhaps inappropriatef or handmadeo r wheelmadev ases but also becausei t is liable to confusionw ith the modernm aterial "plastic".I have attempted,a pparentlyw ithout much success,t o popu- larize the term "figurev ase" for these little vases. This term was in fact used as early as 1930 by Winifred Lamb in CVA, Cambridge1 [Great Britain 6]. The one thing all these little vases have in commoni s that they are in the form of a "figure"o f some kind or another. I must express my thanks to Elizabeth Gebhard, present Director of the University of Chicago Excava- tions at Isthmia, for her enthusiasmf or this study and for encouragingm e to publish these vases in Hesperia. The initial researchw as partially fundedb y a grant from the ResearchC ouncil of the University of Missouri- Columbia, and the article was written while in Athens as Elizabeth Whitehead Visiting Professor for 1989-1990. New photographso f most of the objectsw ere made by I. Ioannidoua md L. Barzioti; Pls. 54:c-e and 55:a, d, e are by Frank Nesbit. Context informationw as providedb y the Isthmia Excavations,a nd appre- ciation goes to Fritz Hemans for providing last-minute help. In the Catalogue, fabric is described with referencet o the Munsell Soil Color Chart (Baltimore 1975). "NB" in the Catalogue abbreviates" Excavation Notebook". Works frequentlyc ited are abbreviateda s follows: Amyx = D. A. Amyx, Corinthian Vase Painters of the ArchaicP eriod I-III, Berkeley 1988 Broneer = 0. Broneer," Excavationsa t Isthmia, Fourth Campaign, 1957-1958," Hesperia 28,1959, pp. 298-343 Ducat = J. Ducat, "Les vases plastiques corinthiens,"B CH 87, 1963, pp. 431-458 PerachoraI = H. Payne et al., Perachora.T he Sanctuarieso f Hera Akraiaa nd Limenia I, Oxford 1940 PerachoraI I = Perachora.T he Sanctuarieso f Hera Akraiaa nd Limenia II, T. J. Dunbabin, ed., Oxford 1962 Phillips = K. Phillips, Jr., "Notes from Berlin on a Bronze Owl," OpRom 17, 1989, pp. 97-122 2 Corinthianf igure vases have not yet been studied from the point of view of context or function, although these aspects will be consideredi n a future publication by the undersigned.A s at Isthmia, Corinthian figure vases are always a very small percentageo f the finds from sanctuaries.T he recent publication of the Greek pottery from the Demeter and Kore sanctuarya t Corinth revealedo nly five completeC orinthian figure vases American School of Classical Studies at Athens is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve, and extend access to Hesperia ® www.jstor.org 228 WILLIAM R. BIERS The plastic vases from Isthmia were found throughoutt he sanctuary,a nd many of them came from the lower levels of the Large Circular Pit, located at the southwest cornero f the excavationa rea (1-3, 8, 9, 11, 14, 16).3 Since later materialc ame from even the lowest levels of the pit, the context here can not be used to date the plastic vases and fragmentsf rom these levels. In fact, none of the vases came from closed 6th-centuryd eposits, as is made clear by the context informationp rovidedi n the Catalogue (pp. 235-238 below). Of the 18 figure vases and fragments,t he greatern umber (13) are fragmentso f common Corinthian animal vases, particularlyh ares and rams. Where heads or characteristicb ody parts are preserved,t here is no problem identifying what animal is represented (1-3, 9, hares;4 -8, rams). A number of fragmentsm endedi nto parts of bodies (10-13), but such is the nature of the mass-producedC orinthianp lastic vases of this type that it is difficultt o tell what animal is intended: different creatures could be created simply by adding different heads to standardizedb odies. These 13 fragmentso f the Corinthianp eriod are presentedi n the Catalogueb elow. Five additionalv ases and pieces of vases (14-18) are of special interest as representingn ew types or versionso f types within the Corinthianr epertoire.T heir basic informationi s given in the Catalogue (pp. 237-238), but detailedd escriptiona nd discussion appear in the text below. A single fragmento f a squatting male figure was found in the Large Circular Pit (14; P1. 56).4 The corpulent figure is portrayed seated with his legs drawn up. His head is unfortunatelyb roken away, and there is a hole broken in his chest below the right hand. The hand is modeled with the fingers indicated and appears to grasp something, now broken away, that extends down from his head, probably a beard. The hand is clearly holding something that extends slightly below the fist and is painted black. Reddish glaze can be seen at the break above the hand on the right side (P1. 56:c). The left arm terminates in a finished, oval end; there is no hand indicated,n or was it broken away. The corpulent body shows many traces of hand modeling, and there is no evidence that the figure was wheelmade, although being relatively intact, it is difficult to be certain. The plastically rendered arms and legs were apparently outlined in glaze paint, some of which still sur- vives. Only a small section of the hair is preservedo n the figure's right side, still covered and two fragments:E . G. Pemberton, Corinth, XVIII, i, The Sanctuaryo f Demeter and Kore: The Greek Pottery, Princeton 1989, p. 178. For the Large Circular Pit (Trench H) see Broneer, pp. 301-303; idem, "Excavations at Isthmia 3 1951-1961," Hesperia 31, 1962, pp. 1-2; idem, Isthmia, II, Topographya nd Architecture,P rinceton 1973, pp. 22-24, 135-136. As Broneer describest he pit, it was filled when the temenos was landscapeda fter the constructiono f the Classical Temple of Poseidon. Study of the contentsi s not complete,b ut the admixture of later material makes it appear that the pit was not filled before the beginning of the 4th century B.C. Most of the contentsa re votivesf rom within and aroundt he ArchaicT emple of Poseidont hat burnedc a. 470 B.C., and many bear marks of burning. Since there is only one fire known at this time in the sanctuary, the burning marks indicate that the objectsm ust have been originally close to, if not within, the temple. The information given for the Lots in the Catalogue indicatest he date of the latest pottery found with each figure vase or frag- ment. For a trench plan of the excavations of 1952-1967, see M. Sturgeon, Isthmia, IV, Sculpture I: 1952-1967, Princeton 1987, plan III = E. Gebhard and F. Hemans, "Universityo f Chicago Excavationsa t Isthmia, 1989: I," Hesperia 61, 1992, p. 11, fig. 3. 4 Broneer, no. 10, pp. 335-336, pl. 71:a, b. The vase is illustrated in A. Pickard-CambridgeD, ithyramb Tragedya nd Comedy,2 nd ed., T. B. L. Webster, rev., Oxford 1962, pl. X:b. The caption says "with drinking horn in hand."T he figure is most probablyg rasping his beard, as suggestedb y Broneer. ARCHAIC PLASTIC VASES FROM ISTHMIA 229 with black glaze filled red in some places. This preserveds ection indicates that the figure must have had solid wiglike hair that ended well above the shoulder.T he head was appar- ently pierced transverselya t this point, for the lower portion of the horizontal hole is pre- served.T here was also a vertical filling hole in the head. A third hole is piercedt hrough the under surface (P1. 56:e). The figure is liberally decoratedi n black glaze, shadingt o brown. A dot field coverst he upper body and probably represents a hairy chest, for the nipples are indicated by dotted circles. The field extends upwards only to the arm on the right side and only slightly above the nipple on the left. Below, two male figures are painted in profile, facing the outline of an erect phallos, now broken away. The ithyphallic left-hand figure appears to touch the phallos with his left hand as does the right-hand figure, who may not be ithyphallic. He appears to hold a clublike objecti n his left hand, probablya phallos or a dildo.5 Dot rosettesd ecoratee ach knee of the figure, and four large circulard esigns are painted on his back, which is divided in two by an uneven, vertical stripe of black glaze (P1. 56:d). The two upper designs, as those on the knees, appear to be dot rosettesw ith their dots fused together,a form that does not seem to be canonical,a t least in the developmento f the dot ro- sette as a filling ornamenti n Corinthianv ase painting, as outlined by Amyx. Perhaps they should be called "fusedp inwheel rosettes".T heir form suggests an early date, but an exact parallel is difficult to find.6T he two lower designs are based on the wheel, the one on the right having six spokes. The one on the left has only four spokes, with dotted circles be- tween them. The Isthmia figure 14 has been linked to the familiar group of squatting male figures conventionallyc alled "komasts"b, ut it shows several peculiar features not present in the core group.7 The members of this group are invariably males, representeda s sitting with their knees drawn up to the body. They usually wear boots and exhibit a dot field over the front of the body and sometimes extending to the sides. It often shows borders, giving the impressiono f a garment, although sometimesi t is consideredt o be simply a representation of a hairy body. These vases were generally made in half-molds with hands, feet, phalloi, and heads added separately, although a few early(?) examples are reportedt o have been wheelmade,a nd there are handmadee xamples.8T he hand modelingo f the arms and legs on I The figure is too small and indistinctt o be able to tell with certaintyw hat is illustrated. 6 Amyx (II, p. 372) gives the developmento f this filling ornamenta s first, the pinwheel rosette,f ollowedb y the dot-clusterr osettes,f used dot-clusterr osettes,d ot in circle, and finally the solid, incised rosette.S loppiness might be to blame for the strange form on 14, which appears to be oddly paralleledi n a local Sicilian imitation of a Transitional Corinthiano lpe: Amyx III, pl. 130. 7 Broneer, pp. 335-336. For the typical Corinthian komast vase, see Ducat, figs. 7, 11, 15-17 and the discussionb y Amyx (II, pp. 530-532). 8 R. A. Higgins (Catalogueo f the Terracottasi n the Departmento f Greeka nd Roman Antiquities,B ritish Museum II, London 1959, p. 39) lists three "earlier. .. apparentlyw heel-made"e xamples. One of these is the plastic vase from Isthmia, one is from the Louvre, and one is in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. The Oxford example (G 1291) is a fragment of the lower half of the figure and clearly shows wheel marks. I am indebtedt o Michael Vickers for allowing me to examine this piece. As indicateda bove, it is possible that the Isthmia figure is handmade. Perhaps to be added to this wheelmade group on the basis of its bulbous body is the komast once in the Musee de l'Art et d'Histoire, Geneva:J . Chamay and J.-L. Maier, Cramiques corinthiennes,G eneva 1984, pp. 140-141; Antiquities (Sotheby, London,J uly 13, 1987), no. 189. 230 WILLIAM R. BIERS 14 and their outlining with glaze paint are paralleledi n the handmade,s acklike,s quatting- man vase in Munich, consideredC orinthianb y Maximova, Payne, and Buschor and dated to the third quarter of the 7th centuryb y Lullies (P1. 57:a).9 Although the pose of the Isthmia figure is similar to that of the core group of Corinthian komasts,t he position of the arms is unique. Corinthiank omastv ases either have both hands together at chest level or have one there and the other lower. Never does one hand grasp a beard, as ours appears to do. The lack of a left hand is an unusual feature but is paralleled in an Early Corinthiank omastf rom Corintht hat also has a handlessl eft arm (P1.5 7:b).1II t is a pity that the head of the Isthmia vase is missing; the short wig is unusual, as is the transverse string hole. The short hair in a solid mass would seem to be an early feature, present in several Protocorinthianf igure vases in the form of squatting men.1"T he head was pierced verticallyf or filling, as would be expected,b ut the secondaryh ole in the base is unexpecteda nd difficultt o explain.12T he dot-fieldd ecorationi s appropriatef or the komast figures, as mentioneda bove;h ere it appears to representa hairy chest. As has been indicated,v arious details suggest a relatively early date for this vase, per- haps as early as the Early Corinthianp eriod in the late 7th century, and it may be an early example of the komast type before the form had been fully developed. The head of what may be another, but cruder, komast plastic vase is shown in Plate 57:c, d (15). A simple hole through the top of the head servedf or filling, and a single, hori- zontally placed lug is placed behind the head. The neck of the pot was pinched in to form a nose and two eyes, each renderedb y a black dot surroundedb y two circles of black glaze. Black paint is also preservedo n the head and down the sides of the neck, overlappingt he edge of the garment(?),w here it perhaps representsh air. Traces of black are also preserved below the eyes on either side of the nose, and faint traces of paint suggest that originally a beard was indicated.T he figure appears to wear a garment which is dotted and, across its chest, seems to have a decoratedb order,o r perhaps there is a necklacec onsistingo f a line of short, upright rectangles between parallel lines. A curved border on the left side of the fragmenta t the front, close to the break, indicatesf urther decoration. These handmadef igures are difficultt o date, and no parallels suggest themselves,o ther than general ones to "bird-face"fi gurinesw ith pinchedf aces. The curvingv ase body and the 9 Munich, Staatliche Antikensammlungen6 636: M. I. Maximova, Les vasesp lastiques dans l'antiquite, trans. Carsow, Paris 1927, no. 168, p. 143, pl. 45; H. Payne, Necrocorinthia,O xford 1931, p. 173; E. Bu- schor, "Satyrtanzeu nd friuhesD rama,"S BMiunch1 943, 5, p. 10; CVA, Munich 3 [Germany9 ], p. 46, pl. 148 [430]:7-9. This figure'sb ack also has a vertical center stripe. I would like to thank Dr. BertholdK aeser of the StaatlicheA ntikensammlungeni n Munich for informationc oncerningt his vase and for permissiont o publish the photographo f it. 10 C-62-624: D. A. Amyx and P. Lawrence, Corinth,V II, ii, Archaic CorinthianP otterya nd the Anaploga Well, Princeton 1975, no. AN 343, p. 165, pl. 84. Appreciationg oes to the Corinth Excavationsf or permission to publish the photographo f this fragment. 11K . Wallenstein, KorinthischeP lastik des 7. und 6. Jahrhundertsv or Christus,B onn 1971, nos. 1A 1-3, p. 95, pls. 1, 2. Broneer (p. 336) refers to "thet rick use of holes for manipulatingt he contents,"b ut it is hard to see just 12 how this would work, particularlyi f these vases containedp erfumes or perfumedo ils as is generally thought. Presumablyt he vase was fired with its pierced head on, and so a firing hole in this position would not have been needed. Protocorinthianf igure vases often had filling holes in anatomicallyc orrectp laces on such figures as birds, but to my knowledge Corinthiank omast vases had only a single hole, located in the head. ARCHAIC PLASTIC VASES FROM ISTHMIA 231 neck decorationb ring to mind the late Early Corinthian komast from Corinth (P1. 57:b), but there the head is molded1. 3 Vertically pierced, crude handmadeh eads occasionallyt urn up, and they may not have all belongedt o crude versionso f the komastv ases.14 A complete vase in the form of a standing duck was also recoveredf rom the Large Circular Pit (16; P1. 58).15 The bird is depicteds tandingw ith its head pointing downwards so that the bill rests on its chest and is attached there. Its long neck loops upwards, the resulting hole probablys erving for a string so that the vase could be suspended,a s are most Corinthianp lastic vases. A simple hole in the top of the head servedf or filling (P1. 58:b). Its feet are two long strips of clay. Although it is difficultt o be certain, the body was probably made in two half-molds with the feet and neck added. The vase was decoratedw ith both incision and paint. Incision was used extensively:f or the eyes (a simple circle within a cir- cle), the markingso n the bill, the outline of the wings, the single row of flight feathers, and the overlappingo val scale pattern on the back. Little trace of color remains on the head; the chest was apparently simply painted black, and traces of black glaze can still be seen. Relativelyl arge amountso f red are preservedo n the shoulderp anels (wing coverts),a nd the incised flight feathersa lternatedr ed and black, accordingt o the preservedt races. The black, incised scale pattern on the back was brightenedb y white dots, apparently placed one in each scale, but the conditiono f the surfaceo f the back makes it difficultt o be certaino f their distribution. Ducks are relatively scarcea mong the plastic vases of Corinth, but there are numerous examples from East Greece.16T here is a well-known duck from Corinth in Berlin, gener- ally consideredP rotocorinthian,w hose head is in a similar position but without the neck loop and with the filling hole under the tail.17T here are fragmentso f two duck vases from Perachora.O ne preservest he head, upper neck, and a non-joiningf ragmento f the body and is decoratedw ith a dot field and purple-paintedf eathers.1 "T he beak is attachedt o the lower neck, which is shorter and not looped. The orifice of the vessel is in the head, and a hole, presumablyf or suspension, is pierced through the bill just where it joins the head. A frag- ment of a secondv ase is only a head, but enough is preservedt o show that it was in the same pose, bill flat on the neck, as the other Corinthian examples.19P erhaps the downward- pointing head attached to the body can be cited as one of the characteristicso f Corinthian plastic vases in the shape of ducks. The orifice is again in the head, and this time a hole is pierced through the head where the eyes should be, again presumably for suspension. A 13 Amyx and Lawrence, loc. cit. (note 10 above). 14 For instance, Corinth KP 2302 from the Potters' Quarter is a handmadeh ead, apparentlyf rom a figure vase of unknown shape:A . N. Stillwell and J. L. Benson, Corinth,X V, iii, The Potters'Q uarter:T he Pottery, Princeton 1984, no. 1429, p. 257, pl. 59. 15 Broneer,n o. 5, p. 334, pl. 70:e. 16 For East Greek waterfowl see J. Ducat, Les vasesp lastiquesr hodiensa rchaiquese n terrec uite (BEFA-R 209), Paris 1966, pp. 91-94. For ducks in Robertson'sG roup of East Greek figure vases see W. Biers, "The Dozing Duck: A Rare Plastic Vase," Muse 18, 1984, pp. 26-34. Ducks are also popular in Etruria and other western areas (see note 17 below). 17 Berlin, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, AntikensammlungV .I. 3676. For new photos and relevant bib- liography, see Phillips, p. 106, note 40, p. 118, fig. 25:a, b. 18 PerachoraI , no. 202, p. 236, pl. 105, dated by Jenkins to the late 7th or early 6th centurya nd by Ducat, "less convincingly"( Amyx II, p. 518), not before the mid-6th century. 19 PerachoraI , no. 203, p. 236, pl. 106, dated as "?VIc"b y Jenkins. 232 WILLIAM R. BIERS body fragmentt hat appears to belong to another duck vase was found at Corinth in 1954.2o Preservedi s the beginning of the curve of the neck and a portion of the shoulder panels, which are decoratedi n a black-glazed incised scale pattern with red dots apparently ran- domly sprinkledi n the scales. The scale pattern at the shouldersr ecalls a similar decoration on Protocorinthiano wls and on the back of 16.21 Although stylistic dating of the Isthmian duck is hazardousa t best, it is probablyb est placed in the Corinthianp eriod, perhaps in the early 6th century.22 A single, very worn fragment of a female-headeda nimal vase was found in 1966 (17; P1. 59). Only the upper part of the creaturei s preserved,c onsistingo f a moldmadeh ead on a wheelmadeb ody. The head is piercedv erticallyw ith a simple hole in the typical Corinthian method for filling plastic vases. From underneathi t can be seen that the hole was simply punchedt hrough from abovew ith a dowel-like instrument.T wo suspensionh oles were also bored on either side of the neck. The hair is treated as a solid mass, scalloped in shallow waves over the foreheada nd falling straight down to where it is offset from the body of the creature. Two rectangulars labs of clay were added on both side of the face, adding to the wiglike quality of the hair. This is an unusual feature for Corinthian plastic vases but is known in terracottasi n which, occasionally,s ide hair is not striatedb ut simply treated as a solid, rectangularm ass.23 The vase was once highly decorated,b ut only traces of the painted decorationa re now visible; in many cases only "ghosts"o f the black glaze are preserved,a nd these are so faint that it is difficultt o be certain of the details. Patches of black are to be seen on the hair, and traces of white can be made out on the right side of the face. An interestingd etail is that the hair was shown to end in a wavy border;t races of this borderc an still be seen on the body of the animal, just below the offset hair. It is best preservedo n the left side of the creature (P1. 59:a). Similarly, each of the rectangular locks on either side of the face was visually continued onto the body of the animal by a painted extension, only vaguely visible in the photographs( cf. P1. 59:a). Three rectangularp rojectionse xtend down below each slab, as if to representt he tied and decoratedb ottom of the wig. Visible below the chin and between the suspension lines are the faint remains of three lines indicating that perhaps a necklace was originally represented.T he body of the creaturew as coveredw ith a dot field, both over the chest below the presumedn ecklacea nd above and behind the wings. The wings of the creature curved upwards on its back and are for the most part pre- served only in faint traces, with the exception of relatively large amounts of purple on the shoulder panels. The flight feathers consist of two rows of oval feathers, the second, larger 20 C-54-11: M. C. Roebuck, "Excavationsa t Corinth: 1954," Hesperia 24, 1955, p. 152, pl. 60:10 (dated Middle Corinthian, "earlyp art of the sixth century,"p . 152). 21 For Protocorinthiano wls see Phillips, figs. 16, 17, 19. 22 Amyx (II, p. 518, note 318) consideredt he vase "apparently"P rotocorinthiana nd said it closely resem- bled Protocorinthiano wl vases. This is presumablyb ased on the general body shape and the incision, but the filling hole placed in the head and the long added feet might better place it in the Corinthianp eriod. 23 See the figurinesP erachoraI , no. 38, pl. 91 (datedt o the end of the 7th century);A . N. Stillwell, Corinth, XV, ii, The Potters' Quarter:T he Terracottas,P rinceton 1952, no. VIII.6, p. 63, pl. 10 (dated "somewhere near the end of the third quarter of the 7th century or the beginning of the last quarter");i bid., no. VIII.12, p. 66, pl. 11 (dated last quarter of the 7th century). ARCHAIC PLASTIC VASES FROM ISTHMIA 233 row curvingu p over the back almost to the neck. On the right side the full extent of the wing is preserved.I t is completed before the break, which has a very slight upward curve (just visible in Plate 59:c), and this perhaps gives a hint as to the identificationo f the creature portrayed. The animal could be either a siren or a sphinx, for a female head on a winged body is appropriatef or either creature in the repertoire of Corinthian plastic vases. The typical Corinthian siren vase, however, has a more rounded, globular bird body, with the female head generally set higher.241 7 seems to have a longer body, more appropriatet o a recum- bent, four-legged animal such as a sphinx. Sphinxes are not numerous among Corinthian figure vases, but where they exist, they share one peculiarity with another four-footed animal, the lion: a tail. The tail in vases representingb oth creaturesi s renderedp lastically and is shown elegantly curvedu p over the flank and drapedo ver the back. The raised lip at the break on 17 could be the remains of such an appendage;t he fact that the wings are very short and terminateb efore the break indicatest hat somethingw as once there. The Isthmia sphinx vase does not find a close parallel among the other known examples of sphinxes from Corinth. Ducat divided the 11 examples he knew into three groups, only one of which has painted wings ("Grouped u Visage Attentif"),b ut this group is completely different from 17, with stylized, vertical feathers and more elongated bodies. A shorter, more compactb ody is found on the only example of a sphinx in Ducat's "Grouped e Megara Hyblaea".25H ere, however, the creaturei s wingless and faces to her left, rather than fron- tally. She was, on the other hand, highly finished with an elaboraten ecklace. Other Corinthians phinx vases with horizontallyp ainted wings did apparentlye xist, to judge from a fragment of one found in Corinth in 1902 but now missing. The small illus- tration published seems to indicatet hat a portiono f the shoulderp anel was preservedo n the right side of fragmentsa nd that she also wore a necklace.26 Chronologically,p lastic vases in the form of sphinxes belong to the Corinthian period; no Protocorinthiane xamples have yet been recognized,a lthough the creaturei s well repre- sented in the painting of the period. The date has to be determinedo n style, and both earlier and later features are present.27T he unstriated,v ertical hair mass appears in figurines of the late 7th century,a s has been mentioned,b ut it is unclearh ow chronologicallys ignificant this may be. In Corinthian painting, wings are usually depictedw ith a single row of flight feathers,s pringingf rom a solid painted shoulder,b ut double and even triple rows may be an early feature, certainlyt o be seen on Protocorinthianp lastic vases.28A few examples of two rows of wing featherss imilar to 17, however, are known in Early Corinthian.29T he overall 24 Ducat, p. 451, figs. 22, 23. 25 For these two groups, see Ducat, pp. 439-440, 447-450. For the sphinx in the Groupe de Megara Hy- blaea, Syracuse 11343, see Ducat, p. 448, fig. 14. Ducat's third group, Groupe Stathatos,c omprisess ide-facing sphinxes with cylindrical,r elativelyc oarselym odeledb odies, very differentf rom 17; see Ducat, p. 445. D. M. Robinson, "Ointment-Vasesf rom Corinth,"A JA 10, 1906, p. 425, fig. 4. This article published 26 five Corinthian plastic vases which are no longer in Corinth. See the discussiono f Phillips, p. 104, note 27. 27 This fragmentc ame from a mixed context with a lower date in the 5th century, Isthmia Lot 2284. 28 Illustrationso f Protocorinthiana vian vases can be found in F. Johansen, "Der er Uglen," MedK0b 32, 1975, pp. 99-118, esp. figs. 1-5, 7, 9-11, and more recently in Phillips, figs. 14-17, 19, 25, 31. 29 S. S. Weinberg, Corinth, VII, i, The Geometrica nd Orientalizing Pottery, Cambridge, Mass. 1943, no. 251, p. 65, pl. 34; PerachoraI I, no. 1525, p. 143, pl. 59. 234 WILLIAM R. BIERS shape of the face and the scalloped hair also seem to fit better into the early 6th century, perhaps the first quarter.30 A problemp iece is illustratedi n Plate 59:d (18). A single fragmento f the lower portion of a bird body preservest he stubbyt ail and a portiono f the curvings ide wall of the right side of the bird. A groovea long the right side delineatest he resting surface.T he undersideo f the vessel was pierced for a filling hole, which was borderedo n the body side by an enclosed- tongue design executed in now faded black glaze. The small, flat tail was also pierced, pre- sumablyf or suspension.T he hole appearsd istinctlyo ff center,b ut the left side of the tail has been brokena way. The body of the creaturea s well as the tail was coveredw ith a dot field. The fragmentw as found in the same trencho n the same day and is virtually identicali n fabric and faded decorationt o 17. Both the excavatora nd others have consideredi t a non- joining fragmento f the sphinx vase. The filling hole in the undersidem akes this unlikely, however, for figure vases generally require only one filling hole, and the sphinx (17) was filled through the head. It is best to disassociatet he two fragments,a nd a very close parallel, in fact, exists to 18 in a completev ase now in Vienna (P1. 60:a-c).31 The Vienna vase has a typically Corinthian avian form but is topped by a solid, crude head. The head is turned at an angle to the body (P1. 60:b) and is roughly worked;c lay dots indicatee yes, and a relativelyl arge beak has been brokena way. The bird is coveredw ith a dot field, with a row of enclosed-tongued esign aroundt he neck and aroundt he filling hole, which is locatedu ndert he tail (P1.6 0:c), as on the Isthmiaf ragment.T he tail of the Vienna bird also has a pierced hole in it, but the vase lacks the horizontal groove, apparentlyh aving a more roundedb ody. The tongue design, identical on both fragments,i s an early feature, as is the placemento f the filling hole under the tail, a characteristico f Protocorinthianb ird vases.32 A third example of this shape is in New York (P1.6 0:d, e).33T he decorationi s virtually identical except that the design around the filling hole consists of enclosed dots rather than enclosedt ongues. The New York and Vienna birds and the Isthmia fragment (18) can be seen as consti- tuting a new group of Corinthian plastic vases in which Corinthian bird shapes retain Protocorinthianc haracteristics.P resumably,t hen, they should be dated early in the Early Corinthianp eriod. The small collectiono f vases from Isthmia has thus added new versions of Corinthian types, as well as a completely new example, to the body of Corinthian plastic vases. The 30 CompareC orinthX V, ii (note 23 above), no. XII.1, p. 98, pl. 17 and PerachoraI , no. 224, p. 108, pl. 108 (= Wallenstein [note 11 above],n o. IVA1, p. 112, pl. 7:1, "Middle Corinthian"). 31 Vienna, KunsthistorischesM useum, IV 3567. I must thank Dr. Bernhard-Walchero f the Kunsthisto- risches Museum for providing the photographs of this vase and permission to publish them. The vase is reportedt o have been acquiredi n Greece in the 19th century. 32 For the tongue design on early Protocorinthianv ases, see K. Friis Johansen, Les vases sicyoniens, Paris/Copenhagen 1925, no. 5, pl. 5. For the location of filling holes in Protocorinthianb ird vases, see Payne (note 9 above), p. 174. 33M.M.A. 41.162.22: CVA, Fogg Museum and Gallatin Collections [USA 8], Gallatin Collections, pp. 83-84, pl. 34 [381]:1;G . M. A. Richter,H andbooko f the GreekC ollection,C ambridge,M ass. 1953, p. 36, pl. 24:c. I would like to thank Joan Mertens for providingt he photographsa nd permission to publish them and for her support and encouragement. ARCHAIC PLASTIC VASES FROM ISTHMIA 235 plastic vase, by its very nature, invited new creations, as has been clearly shown by this group from the excavationsa t Isthmia. CATALOGUE 1. Head of a hare P1. 53:a on top of head. Ears attached to body, curve up at IP 2061A: Large Circular Pit, Trench H, at ends. Painted decorationm ostly worn away; traces of double black stripe outlining ears can still be seen. depth of 15.50-15.80 m.; NB 20, 1958, pp. 303, 307; Lot 2342, first half 5th century This head, with ears attachedt o the body, is a vari- B.C. P.L. 0.049, p.H. 0.035 m. ant of 1 and 2. For another variant with the ears White fabric, 5YR 8/1. attached but curving down at the ends, see Ducat, p. 457, fig. 26. Single fragment preserving head and ears. Ears treateda s a single pointedm ass behind tubular head. 4. Head of a ram P1. 54:a Suspension hole behind head; filling hole in top of IM 1132: Archaic Temple debris outside Earlier head. Black glaze paint for markings of eyes, head, Stadium II embankment,T rench R-28; NB 12, and ears. 1956, p. 103; Lot 1141, early 5th century B.C., The hares, 1-3, and the following rams belong to with numerousA rchaic horse figurines.34 Ducat's group of "Animaux Grossierement Mo- P.L. 0.035, p.H. 0.034 m. deles";s ee Ducat, pp. 455-457. For a completeh are Very pale brown fabric, lOYR 8/4. of this type, see p. 457, fig. 28. Single fragment preserving head of standard ram 2. Head of a hare PI. 53:b type. Horns, which would have been rendered by coiled strips of clay, broken away. Sloping holes IP 2061B: Large Circular Pit, Trench H, at through now missing horns served as suspension depth of 15.50-15.80 m.; NB 20, 1958, pp. 303, holes; filling hole in top of head. Painted decoration 307; Lot 2342, first half 5th century B.C. in reddish glaze paint: eye, details of head; dot field IP 2440: Large Circular Pit, Trench H, at depth over body. of 15.65-18.05 m.; NB 20, 1959, p. 324. For the common type of Corinthian ram vase, see P.L. 0.055, p.H. 0.035 m. Ducat, p. 457, fig. 27. White fabric, 5YR 8/1. Two joining fragmentsf ormingh ead and part of left 5. Head of a ram PI. 54:b shouldero f hare of same type as 1. Ears brokena way IM 1189: Archaic Temple debris within Earlier at end. Horizontal suspension hole below ears; fill- Stadium II embankment,T rench R-30; NB 12, ing hole on top of head. Markings in red brown for 1956, p. 119; Lot 421, early 5th century See 4 B.C. eyes, muzzle, and ear outlines. Lower body dotted. above. P.L. 0.025, p.H. 0.023 m. 3. Head of a hare P1. 53:c Light-gray fabric, lOYR 7/1. IP 1842: Large Circular Pit, Trench H, at depth Single fragment of head of standardr am, preserved of 14.75 m.; NB 15, 1958, p. 131; Lot 1418, first from filling hole forward. Small portion of back be- half 5th century B.C. low head also preserved. P.L. 0.055, p.H. 0.022 m. Pinkish white fabric, 5YR 8/2. 6. Head of a ram P1. 54:c Single fragmentp reservingh ead and ears. Horizon- IP 2012: North Temenos, Trench NTDW, with- tal suspension hole in ear behind head; filling hole in terrace fill south of the second Roman temenos 34 4, 5, and 13 were probablyv otives in the Archaic Temple that were disposed of in the eastern temenos terrace after the fire of ca. 470 13 comes from a deposit of ash and burnt animal bones that lies over the B.C. Archaic terrace, east of the long altar. 5 comes from a hard-packeds urface over the ash deposit and 4 from a disturbancem ade in that surface during Roman times. 236 WILLIAM R. BIERS wall; NB 15, 1958, p. 179; Lot 1248, mostly Ar- Single fragment of wheelmade haunch of vase in chaic but extending to early 2nd century after form of hare. Preserved:t ail and one foot in form of Christ. added strips of clay. Traces of red paint on foot; P.H. 0.016, p.W. 0.031 m. faded dot field overall. White fabric, 10YR 8/2. 10. Body of a resting quadruped P1. 55:b Single fragmento f the head of a ram like 5, brokena t IP 329: Temple of Poseidon,A rchaic Temple de- both ends. Neither head nor neck preserved;r ight bris,35T rench C-8; NB 4,1954, p. 85. horn and one half of left horn preserved.T races of P.L. 0.069, p.W. 0.035 m. black glaze paint on horns; dots between horns. Reddish yellow fabric, 5YR 7/6. 7. Head of a ram P1. 54:d Six joining fragments making up lower portion of wheelmade, resting animal. Feet rendered in ap- IM 1262: North Temenos, Trench IV, within plied, oval strips of clay. Traces of burning on right early terrace fill south of the second Roman teme- side. Body decoratedw ith red-purple dot field; feet nos wall; NB 10, 1956, p. 196, Archaic to early are coveredw ith same color. Red zigzag line on belly 5th century B.C. between legs. P.H. 0.03, p.W. 0.035 m. Without the upper portion, it is uncertain whether White fabric, 10YR 8/2. this plastic vase was in the form of a standardh are, a Single fragment preservingn eck of larger ram than ram, or even a sphinx. All three often have zigzag the three precedinge xamples. Only one half of right lines on the belly, and the proportions and shape horn preserved,a nd only one half of suspensionh ole would be appropriatef or a large hare or ram. still shows. No traces of painted decoration. 11. Body fragment P1. 55:c 8. Head of a ram P1. 54:e IP 2053: Large Circular Pit, Trench H, at depth IP 3180: Large Circular Pit, Trench H; NB 31, of 15.20-15.40 m.; NB 20, 1958, pp. 267, 287; 1960, p. 613; Lot 1469, first half 5th century B.C. Lot 1429, first half 5th century B.C. P.L. 0.047, p.H. 0.03 m. P.L. 0.037, p.H. 0.03 m. White fabric, 10YR 8/2. White fabric, lOYR 8/2, shading to very pale brown on surface, lOYR 8/3. Single crude fragment preserving portion of neck and head with large, cylindricalm uzzle. Small part Two Joining fragmentso f handmadeb ody with two of right horn preserved. Filling hole in head. No conical buttons of clay for feet. Broken away all traces of painted details, but coarse,r ed-browng laze around, leaving only part of lower portion of figure. paint preservedo n neck. Surfacew orn. Where preserved,d ecorationi n faded glaze paint showing overall net pattern on the sides, 9. Body fragmento f a hare vase PI. 55:a rectangularp anels before and behind feet on under IP 2061C: Large Circular Pit, Trench H, at surface, and double line of dots within rectangular depth of 15.30-15.70 m.; NB 20, 1958, p. 311; panel between feet. Lot 1421, first half 5th centuryB .C. Without the upper portion of this vase, not to men- P.L. 0.03, p.H. 0.033 m. tion the front and rear portions, it is difficult to un- White fabric, 5YR 8/1. derstand what creature is represented.T he netlike 35 During the robbing of the remains of the Classical Temple to provide blocks for the constructiono f the Late Antique trans-Isthmian wall, a trench was dug through a portion of the Archaic Temple destruction depositsu nderlyingt he floor of the later temple. The excavatedf ill was dumpedi nto the foundationt rench for the columns in antis of the Classical pronaos. As a result of new excavation and study of the remains of the Archaic Temple, this area has been defined as the location of the pronaos for the early Archaic Temple. This deposit and the undisturbedd eposits immediatelyt o the west of it containedo ver 130 Archaic silver coins and a large number of small votives. 12 comes from a similar deposit to the west.