Frog-Shaped Guttus (Oil Flask)
300s BCE
<em>Guttus</em> is a Latin word referring to a small vessel with vertical spout and ring handle, probably used for pouring small amounts of precious liquids. Often, mold-made ceramic <em>gutti </em>take the form of animals, with realistic painted decoration. Here, the lifelike frog features black stripes and alternating black and white circles.
Images courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (CC0)