Wine strainers were part of the group of containers intended for the table, a necessary accessory of a refined drinking service, vasa potoria. This strainer would have been used to filter wine from sediments and dregs. Bronze strainers were also used in kitchenware, in the preparation of sauces. Strainers have been largely recovered in graves, as part of the feasting and drinking equipment, which accompanied the social Etruscan and Roman elite to the next world. Rituals related to wine were already present in Etruria since the end of the Bronze Age. However, contact with Greek culture marked a profound evolution. Wine became more deeply linked to the religious dimension, used collectively in celebrations to the gods and in funeral ceremonies. Wine became quickly the main character of social rituals, banquets and symposia.
To learn more about everyday bronze items in the Classical World, visit our relevant post: Everyday Items in the Classical World.
