Pitcher (trefoil mouth oinochoe) with a fox hunt scene
The frieze decorating the belly of this vase probably depicts a fox hunt. A group of men, accompanied by dogs, hunts a solitary fox, which is held captive by the central human figure. The fox can be distinguished from the dogs by the differences in the rendering of their respective tails. The swastika motif, dispersed throughout the composition, is used to convey a sense of frantic movement, accentuating the motion already embedded in the scene. Other less likely interpretations for this scene include three males hunting foxes and hares, and a single farmer, depicted in a continuous narrative, chasing foxes out of a poultry-run.
Images courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (CC0)