Griechisch oder etruskisch? Der anthropomorphe Kannenhenkel von Málaga

Abstract

In 1965, A. Blanco Freijeiro presented the youth-handle, belonging to a private collection
in Málaga as an Greek artefact. However, since approximately 30 years, this handle has
been considered to be Etruscan. But when comparing Etruscan anthropomorphic handles,
striking differences are to be seen. On the contrary, the style of the handle conforms well in
the category of Eastern Greek kouros-handles. These are compared here for the first time.
Many of the Etruscan anthropomorphic handles evidently imitate very clearly Eastern Greek
examples, whereby their motives and elements of style are reproduced in a simplified and
broken way. In comparing the Málaga-handle with the Etruscan anthropomorphic handles,
one notices this phenomenon not only in the representation of the youth and the Sirens of
the handle attachments, but also in the form of the palmette. However the Málaga-handle
shows various strange characteristics which probably indicate, that this oinochoe with a youthhandle
is not an Eastern Greek import, but was produced in the Western Mediterranean by
an emigrated Eastern Greek bronzeworker. The unique Achelooi on the lip of the oinochoe
makes one think, that Phocaean colonies of Marseille and Ampurias could have been his
temporary domain.