The Attic Phormiskos: Problems of Origin and Function

The origin, function, and nomenclature of the Attic pear-shaped black-figured vases broadly referred to as ‘Attic phormiskoi’ are matters of continuing scholarly dispute. This paper addresses these issues through a consideration of both the literary and iconographical evidence for ‘phormiskoi’ as cloth, leather, or net-bags containing astragals, and the shape and decoration of the vases themselves. In the past, scholars have emphasized the shape of Attic phormiskoi in seeking to understand their function; their figure decoration has not previously attracted scholarly attention, other than to cite its funerary character as an indicator of the purpose of the vases. This paper demonstrates that the iconography of Attic phormiskoi can prove illuminating.