The Different Designs of Ancient Greek Pottery

The different designs of ancient Greek pottery are highly characteristic and easily identified.

Pottery making has been performed in Greece since at least 550 BC, and in ancient Greece, each city region developed different designs and styles in crafting ceramics, or "keramos" in Greek. Endless design styles of ancient Greek pottery resulted in uniquely shaped vases, bowls, drinking vessels, water pitchers and other containers made of clay. Greek pottery makers adorned their ceramic creations in two main decor styles: the black-figure style, where the imagery was painted in black over the natural color of fired clay, and the red-figure style, which began in the fifth century BC and features solid black backgrounds of scenes left in the red color of clay.

Krater

The krater design style of ancient Greek pottery gets its name from a word meaning "mix," as the purpose of clay pots made in this style were used to mix water and wine before being served. Kraters were probably most often used during drinking parties or large family meals, as they are large bowls that can accommodate large amounts of liquid, which was traditionally ladled into smaller drinking cups, called "kylix," or other vessels.

Hydria

Hydrias were specifically designed by ancient ceramists of Greece to hold and pour water, and its name stems from the Greek word "hydor," which means "water." These water pitchers, known as hydriai in the plural, typically featured oval bodies, one vertical handles and two horizontal handles to accommodate its use as both water transporter and distributor. In addition to drawing and storing water, hydriai were used as ballot boxes during elections and as urns to hold ashes of the dead.

Lekythos

Lekythos is the name given to ceramic pots and vessels of ancient Greece that were traditionally used to store various types of oil. These ancient Greek oil bottles had a squat, yet tall, square shape, a narrow neck, small mouth and a single vertical handle. Lekythos-style ceramic vases were used as containers for condiments, perfumes and essential oils used in cosmetics, as well as to pour libations for the dead or left as an offering at the deceased's grave.

Amphora

Amphora-style ceramic vases were used throughout ancient Greece to transport and store liquids, olives, grain, herbs and other items. These pottery items were made in all shapes and sizes, and always featured two vertical handles on each side, a wide body and a long, narrow neck, and some were even made with fitted lids. The name "amphora" means "two-handled carrier" in Greek, and some were so big that they required two people to carry them from place to place.

References

• Oracle ThinkQuest: Greek Pottery
• Greek Civilization: Pottery
• Greek Vase Shapes