Angled view of an onion-shaped black and orange jug with a pinched mouth and handle, along with illustrations of a sphinx, roosters, and floral motifs painted on the surface.
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Phineus painter

Wine Jug (Oinochoe) with Sphinx

Maker

Phineus painter (530 BCE - 510 BCE)

Culture

Italo-Greek

Title

Wine Jug (Oinochoe) with Sphinx

Period

Archaic (Greek)

Year

ca. 520 BCE

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

clay

Geography

Archaeological Site: Italy, Possibly; Archaeological Site: Rhegium, Possibly

Dimensions

Height: 27.2 cm (10 11/16 inches) (with handles)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Museum Appropriation Fund

Object Number

30.082

Type

Publications

Exhibition History

Being and Believing in the Natural World
Perspectives from the Ancient Mediterranean, Asia, and Indigenous North America
Oct 22, 2022 – Jun 04, 2023

Label copy

Powerful mythical creatures are found across geographies and religious beliefs. Many of these figures are guardians, and some are associated with wisdom. The griffin in this Roman fresco combines two fearsome animals, the lion and the eagle, making it a strong protector and a guardian of treasures. 

In the case below are other fantastic creatures. 

• the hintha, a mythical bird in Buddhism, similar to the Hindu hamsa 

• a Greek sphinx combining a human, lion, and eagle 

• the horse-like winged buraq, important in Islamic tradition 

• a sea-horse guardian from China 

• human-fish figures revered in South and Southeast Asia

—GB | WC 

Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Phineus painter (530 BCE - 510 BCE)
Wine Jug (Oinochoe) with Sphinx, ca. 520 BCE
Terracotta; black-figure
Height: 27.2 cm (10 11/16 inches) (with handles)
Museum Appropriation Fund 30.082

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