The shape of this small two-handled vessel is seemingly unique in the large repertoire of Attic black-glazed pottery of the Classical period, combining as it does the figure of a bird with the body of a man. The bulging vessel adopts the form of a man's pronounced egg-shaped chest and belly, to which are attached human arms that grasp the stomach. The bird-man sits with his legs pulled up. The legs join in back approximately where his buttocks would be, and the vessel itself stands on a profiled base. At the back are two large wings with feathers that are characterized by stamped decoration. The bird's head features large round eyes, a sharp, prominent beak, and small ears, possibly human. One can only surmise that this remarkable iconography relates to Aristophanes' comedy The Birds, first produced in 415/414 B.C. The bird-man caricature, in fact, may be read as an illustration of a costume for a member of the chorus in this comedy. As such, the amphoriskos is a significant addition to our holdings of Classical art associated with Greek comedy.