This unusual shape called an exaleiptron or kothon, with its incurved rim and three spool-shaped handles, was designed to hold a liquid and may have been used as an oil lamp in a religious setting.

Here an Etruscan potter is making a local imitation of a vase shape and style of decoration which was typically Corinthian, dating to the Early Corinthian period. At this period, decorated pots from Corinth in Greece were very popular throughout the Mediterranean region, and the local potters were taking advantage of this popularity by creating their own copies.