Mamarce Oinochoe

Images were incised on the oinochoe and red filling was pressed into the incisions, some traces of which still remain. This incised decoration suggests the oinochoe comes from the Falisci or Falerii area, but it might also come from the neighbouring settlement of Veii. The incisions depict a warrior who is flanked by a horse on the right and by a goat suckling its kid on the left (both goats missing their fourth leg). Above the goats there were two waterfowl. The engraver equipped the bearded warrior with helmet, greaves and belt and depicted him with his legs spread as if he were dancing.

The depiction of a human figure flanked by animals has a parallel in the common eastern motif of the master of animals. While the master of animals motif originates in the east, it is common in Greece; a form with horses is native to Corinth and goats might indicate Euboean influence. If the image derives from the master of animals motif, then the depiction of a suckling goat is most unusual - we would expect two horses. Even more unusual is the fact that the goat is looking away from the warrior. The waterfowl would have to be explained as Villanovan influence.

On the right side, stretching over the horse to the warrior is an incised inscription in Etruscan which reads from right to left, saying mi mamarce zinace. Mi is the first person singular nominative pronoun, mamarce is a male name in the nominative-accusative or locative case and zinace is a past active verb meaning "made". Because Mamarce only states his first name, it is assumed that he belonged to a lower social class. The name Mamerce is Italic, appearing in Latin as Mamercus and connected with Mamers, the Oscan name of the god Mars. That the potter who bore this name was himself ethnically Italiote need not follow.

• Irma Wehgartner. Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum Würzburg 3. Beck, München 1983 ISBN 3-406-09751-0. 3.4,1.
• Irma Wehgartner. Mi Mamarce Zinace in Ulrich Sinn, Irma Wehgartner (ed.s): Begegnung mit der Antike. Zeugnisse aus vier Jahrtausenden mittelmeerischer Kultur im Südflügel der Würzburger Residenz, Ergon, Würzburg 2001 ISBN 3-935556-72-1, p. 8–9
• Giovannangelo Camporeale. Mamarce. in Rainer Vollkommer (ed.), Künstlerlexikon der Antike. Nikol, Hamburg 2007, p. 485.