Fish Plate

This red-figure South Italian plate is from the 4th century BCE and depicts 3 fish: two perch and one torpedo fish.

Fish plates were first produced in Attica around 400 BCE, however production peaked in Greek colonies in Italy around 350 BCE, ending in 300 BCE. Fish plates were decorated with a wide variety of painted fish, however the torpedo fish appears only on South Italian plates.

The meaning and context of fish plates is disputed. Their function could be funerary, cultic or secular (for example, they may have had a culinary function, or even have been specifically for eating fish–the sauce would go in the centre). The pristine condition of our plate suggests that it was not culinary in function.

Author: Valentina Donato