Greek - Ancient Pottery for Sale

Although some ancient Greek pottery was intended for decoration or for presentation, the majority was made for everyday use, mainly in the preparation and serving of food and drink, or for the bath, and can be divided in four broad categories - storage and transport vessels, mixing vessels, jugs and cups and vases for oils, perfumes and cosmetics. Most surviving Greek pottery consists of drinking vessels such as amphorae, kraters (bowls for mixing wine and water), hydria (water jars), libation bowls, jugs and cups. Miniatures were also produced in large numbers, mainly for use as offerings at temples.

Greek Corinthian Aryballos One of the most perfect examples of the type we have ever seen anywhere! Ancient Greek Pottery Aryballos from Corinth, in a proto-Corinthian style, ca. 630 BC. $1,395.00 Sale Pending

Greek Apulian Skyphos - Saint Valentin Style Manufactured in the Greek colony of Apulia in southeastern Italy in the Xenon style, ca 340 to 325 B.C. Beautiful blackware skyphos (wine cup) with slightly-everted rim... $1,695.00

Greek Apulian Lekanis - Lady of Fashion Very rare size, almost a miniature! Ancient Greek Lekanis, ca. 350 BC, from the ancient Greek colony of Apulia in southern Italy. Terracotta pottery in an elegant form, $795.00 SOLD

Greek Xenon Ware Miniature Olpe Circa 325 BC, made in Apulia, southeastern Italy. Thin-walled miniature olpe with deep tapered form, rolled rim and single handle. Decorated with a laurel wreath... $425.00

Etruscan Red-Figure Askos A most unusual Etuscan Askos from northern Italy, ca. 400 to 350 BC. Done in red-figure technique, vessels like these were used to hold / pour precious oils. Round body... $1,795.00

The painted decoration of ancient Greek pottery has become the primary source of information about the development of Greek pictorial art. Made in a variety of sizes and shapes, according to its intended use - large vessels were used for storage and transportation of liquids (wine, olive oil, water), while smaller pots were used for perfumes and unguents. The earliest style, known as the Geometric style (ca. 1000 – 700 B.C.), features geometric patterns and, eventually, narrative scenes with stylized figures. From the late 8th to the early 7th century, a growing Eastern influence resulted in the “Orientalizing” of motifs (e.g., sphinx, griffin), notably in pieces made in Corinth (ca. 700 B.C.), where painters developed black-figure vases. Athenians adopted both the black-figure and red-figure style, and became the dominant manufacturers of Greek pottery. By the 4th century the figured decoration of pottery had declined, and by the end of the century it had died out in Athens.