Classical World, Greco-Roman period, possibly Etruscan, ca. late 1st millennium BCE. A pretty, decorative example of a wine strainer with a long handle that curves at the top before terminating in a wolf head. The bowl is deep, with a wide, nearly flat mouth. A regular, geometric pattern of tiny perforations in the center of the bowl forms the functional part of this gorgeous utensil. These items were used to filter out the sediment when serving wine, a crucial tool, especially for ancient methods of wine making. Size: 1.5" L x 3.8" W x 9" H (3.8 cm x 9.7 cm x 22.9 cm)

The wolf head decoration is rare on strainers (most with animals feature birds) and immediately reminds us of the story of Romulus and Remus, legendary founders of Rome supposedly suckled by a she-wolf. Although the Capitoline Wolf, a famous depiction of this foundation myth, has since been disproven to be Etruscan (it seems more likely that it is medieval), we know that the Lupa capitolina, the seal of Rome, came from Etruscan wolf mythology. The animal seems to have functioned in the Etruscan religion as a psychopomp, a guide to the world of the dead.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

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#138593

Strainer reattached, with repair almost invisible on lower part of handle. Small area on upper part of strainer where the patina has been cleaned away. Wolf finial is in very nice condition. Pretty pale green patina on much of the surface. Old collection label on the mouth of the strainer.