Vase called "plastique" in the shape of a duck. Canosa workshop, 4th century BC.

Vase called "plastique" in the form of a duck. Canosa workshop, 4th century BC.
Duck-shaped body, neck with trilobed mouth and base with molded pedestal.
Terracotta with traces of white slip.
Provenance: Monnaies d'Antan; Private collection J. Grall, France, acquired in France in October 2012.
Measurements: 18.5 x 14 x 14 x 14 cm.

The hollow body of the bird in tender rests on a tall, flared base with a rim. The neck of the vase, with a delicate trifoliate rim and a tall, arched handle, is attached to the back of the duck. The fine yellowish clay of the vessel is painted with a thin layer of white plaster. It may have been made for funerary purposes, given the impossibility of pouring liquids from the vase.

Canosa "plastique" vases are a type of ancient, highly distinctive funerary pottery, originating from the Apulia region of southern Italy (Magna Grecia), and named after the town of Canosa di Puglia (ancient Canusium).

The term "plastique" (plastic) refers to its most characteristic feature: the intensive use of sculptural elements or applied decorations in relief that are added to the body of the vase.