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Typology of Greek vase shapes facts for kids

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The pottery of ancient Greece has a long history. The shapes of Greek vases changed and developed over many years, from the time of the Minoan civilization all the way to the Hellenistic period. Experts like Gisela Richter say that these vase shapes looked their best in the 5th and 6th centuries BC. Because the shapes changed over time, archaeologists can use them to figure out how old a vase is, especially for plain vases without pictures.

It's not easy to name all the different Greek vase shapes. When we say "vase" here, it means any kind of container. Archaeologists started trying to match vase shapes with names from old Greek writings a long time ago. For example, in 1829, Theodor Panofka wrote a book saying he had found the ancient names, but other experts quickly disagreed.

A few old vases actually had their names written on them. One hydria (a water jar) was shown on the famous François Vase with its name. Another kylix (a drinking cup) even says, "I am the decorated kylix of lovely Phito." Sometimes, paintings on vases show how people used them, which helps experts understand old descriptions. Most of what we know about Greek pots comes from writers like Athenaios and Pollux, who lived much later. They wrote about vases they hadn't seen, so their descriptions can be confusing. Even with these challenges, we generally agree on the names of Greek vases today. These names are more like agreed-upon labels than exact historical facts.

The vases mentioned here are mostly from Athens, around 500-400 BC. Their names follow a system created by John Beazley. Many vase shapes were first made from metal, especially silver, but not many of those metal vases survived. Some pottery vases were probably made as cheaper versions of these metal ones, either for daily use or to be placed as grave goods (items buried with the dead). Some names, especially for kylix (drinking cups), describe both the shape and how they were decorated, like the band cup or eye cup. Other names describe what the vase was used for, like the aryballos, which later potters made into many fun, unique shapes.

Main Types of Greek Vases

Greek pottery can be put into four main groups:

Some standard vase types were also made in very large sizes, sometimes even from stone, to be used as grave markers. Others were used as urns to hold ashes after someone died, or as items buried with the dead. Some taller vases could be shaped like figures (called "plastic" or "figure vases"), where the body of the vase looked like a sculpture, often a human head. This is a bit like a modern Toby jug.

Gallery of Vase Shapes

Parts of a Vase: Lips and Feet

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Tipología de vasos griegos para niños

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