Archaeological Museum of Bologna

This type of jug (Chous, plural Choes) was connected to the cult of Dionysus: it was used during the Anthesteria, the oldest festival in honor of the god Dionysus, celebrated for three days in Athens in February-March.

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The second day of the festival was commemorated as the day of the choes, when participants would compete to see who could drink a given quantity of wine the fastest from his own jug. Even children over the age of three could compete. This marked the rite of passage from childhood to adolescence, during which young people drank wine for the first time, and their parents would give them a symbolic miniature chous.

The most frequent decorations on these jugs are scenes of children playing, similar to the one on the work shown here: a little girl is offering a tray of sweets to a boy holding a six-stringed lyre, and another boy is pulling a little toy wheelbarrow and a chous.

Provenance: Athens. Palagi Collection (formerly the Skene Collection)
Datation: 425–375 BC
Material: clay
Dimensions: height cm 12,5
Inventory #: G 76 (PU 295)