Canosa was a prosperous early Greek colony in Apulia. It became an important commercial center and producer of fine pottery in the Hellenistic Period. The tradition of replacing the neck of a vessel with a draped female figure was one that often appears in Canosan pottery from the fourth century. This design, which renders the vase useless as a vessel, confirms that its use was strictly funerary (see p. 218 in J. M. Padgett, et al., Vase-Painting in Italy).