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.

Daunian Pitcher, 4th Century BC Ancient Daunian Pitcher, ca. 4th Century BC. Tan-buff pottery jug with constricted neck for dispensing oils; single handle and flat base. Body decorated with... $325.00

Attic Black-Figure Neck Amphora - Zeus Large and fine example of an ancient Greek Neck Amphora produced in Athens during the last quarter of the 6th century B.C. Produced in black-figure technique with... $32,500.00

Greek Attic Owl Cup Almost all owl cups, or skyphoi, one encounters today were manufactured in Apulia - southeastern Italy, around 325 BC. This extremely fine example is an exception. $2,995.00

Archaic Western Greek Maskette A buff clay molded terracotta maskette having relief facial details and diadem, perforated at top for suspension - hung inside the house to bring good luck. $245.00

Large Daunian Ware Krater Ca. 350 BC Magna Graecia. Large cream-buffware terracotta, round-bodied vessel having two opposing, squared handles rising from the curved shoulder with two small, fingered... $1,750.00

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.