ON zyxwv PHORMISKOI AGAIN* EURYDICE KEFALIDOU zyxw Abstract zyxwvutsrqp This article tries to access the possible or allegcd connections between the ancient phormiskoi-bags and two other groups of objects commonly called phormiskoi by modern scholarship. First, some two hundred clay gourd-shaped objects produced all over the Central and Eastern Mediterranean. These objects were imitations of gourds or of gourd-made vessels: many have a pebble inside and function as rattles. The symbolic nature of the bottle- gourd is also discussed since most of the clay objects have obvious funerary connotations (they were found in graves, in sanctuaries of underworld deities, or bear funerary decoration). Second, the numerous piriform objects that appear almost exclusively on Attic red-figured vases, usually in education and music scenes. These objects seem to have been made of a hard though light raw material and may have a suspension loop and/or a latcral aperture secured with threads. Their use is obscure and their contents zyxw - if any - are ncvcr shown. I. The phormiskos - name and shape Phormiskoi as mentioned in Greek literary sources were small bags usually madc of grass or rushes (a diminutive ofplzormos = wattle, basket) but also of Icather or cloth and werc used for carrying small playthings, fruits and nuts.’ We can rccognizc such plzorniiskoi in numerous Attic vase-paintings which show net-bags (indicated by cross-hatched diagonal lines, fig. 1: 1-2)* or leather-bags of similar shape (leather is commonly indicated by dark rounded patterns, fig. 1 : 3).’ They all have a rather large handle and usually a ‘knob’ projects frclm the bottom. The contents of the net bags are sometimes shown through the net and they ap3ear as small black dots randomly spread all over the bag’s belly (fig. zyx 1 : 2).4 In other cases * I am deeply grateful to the anonymous reader for DfCS for valuable rernarks and corrections, to Dr. Elizabeth Langridge-Noti for reading and correcting my final text, and to John Antlroulidakis for the drawings. 1 On the literary evidence see Hatzivassiliou (2001). I 13-14. 2 The type is very common in the circles of Douris and Makron; see zyxwv C.R. Huitron - Olivcr ( 1995). pls. 61, 65. 78, 88, 1 I8 and Kunisch ( 19971, pls. zyxwvutsrqp 35, 64, 70. 76, 77, 79, 85, 86, I zyxwvutsrq IS, 129. 1.34, 137, 1.78. 146, 160, 165. I7 I. Other examples by Onesimos (ARVz326.93), P. of Athens P42 (ARV’415.7), Syracuse P. (ARV’S21 .S I), Orphcus P. (ARV’ 1104.1 I); see also Moore (1997), no. 702. 3 See e.g. the leather bags by the P. of the Paris Gigantomachy (ARV-’42 I .84) and by the Telephos P. (ARV’X 16. I). Aka, the leather pipecases in korrios and symposium scenes; many examples can be seen r . ~ in Pcschel (1987) pls. 53-1 47 passim. 4 Bltck dots are visible in most of Makron’s examples mentioned in note 2 above. See also the nct-bag by the Hrygos P. (ARV’ 378.137). BICS-47 - 2004 23