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.

Ancient Greek Fish Plate A rare fish plate, missing the typical fish decorations... From ancient Greece, Campanian region (located in southwestern Italy), ca. 325 B.C. Wheel-made pottery vase... $1,295.00 $695.00

Large Apulian Ribbed Cup / Olpe Ancient Greek South Italic Olpe, Apulian region, ca. c. 4th - 3rd century B.C. Black-glazed pottery vessel with ovoid body, short wide neck with flaring rim, thin ... $795.00 $595.00

Apulian Trefoil Oinochoe From the ancient Greek colony of Apulia, located in southern Italy, ca. 325 - 200 B.C. Apulian / Gnathian blackware trefoil oinochoe decorated with traditional... $395.00

Apulian Squat Lekythos Simple form... Ancient Greek Lekythos from southern Italy, Apulian region, ca. 4th century B.C. Typical oil pouring vessel with a squat, bulbous body set on a small ring... $345.00

Miniature South Italic Lekythos Ancient Greek Lekythos from southern Italy, Apulian region, ca. 4th century B.C. In miniature form, typical oil pouring vessel with a squat, bulbous body, tapered... $695.00

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.