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Greek Vase
Shapes
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Scholars today classify ancient Greek vases by shape, of
which there are about 100 different types, many with several
sub-types. Here are some examples of the major types
arranged by predominant (but not exclusive) function.
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Vases used for storing and
transporting wine and foodstuffs
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Amphora
The amphora was a two-handled vase used for
storage and transport.
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Stamnos
Stamnos is probably another name for a large
amphora.
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Vases used for mixing and cooling
wine
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Krater
The word krater means "mixing-bowl," and the
vase was used for mixing wine with water. (The
Greeks did not drink their wine
"neat".)
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Psykter
The word psykter means "cooler," and it was used
for cooling wine:
the psykter was placed in a krater which had been
filled with cooled water, and the cooling liquid
would surround the psykter and cool the
wine.
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Vases used for drinking or
pouring (wine or water)
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Kantharos
This type of drinking-cup is often seen held by
Dionysus in representations on vases.
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Kylix
This drinking-cup is sometimes called the
"symposium-vase," since it appears often in
vase-representations of symposia
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Oinochoe
This vase is a kind of ladle or small pitcher
used for pouring wine from the krater into a
drinking-cup. The word oinochoe means
"wine-pourer."
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Vases used for drawing
water
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Hydria
The name of this three-handled vase is derived
from the Greek word for water. Hydriai were used
for drawing water, as ballot-boxes, and also as
urns to hold the ashes of the dead. They are
commonly seen in vase-representations of women
drawing water at the fountain-house.
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Loutrophoros
The name of this vase means "carrier of
washing-water", and the vase was used only in
ritual contexts: at weddings, to carry the water
for the bridal bath; in funerals, to carry the
water for washing the corpse of unmarried persons
and to mark their graves. Vases of this shape are
commonly decorated with scenes of mourners or
wedding processions.
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Lebes Gamikos
This vase-type has three pieces: a bowl with
handles, a lid (not shown here), and a stand. The
term means "marriage bowl," and the vase was used
for the same purpose as the loutrophoros in wedding
rituals--to bring water for the bridal bath. Many
of these vases are decorated with scenes depicting
wedding preparations or wedding
processions.
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Vases used for
cosmetics
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Pyxis
This vase was a round box with a cover used to
hold cosmetics.
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Lekythos
This vase was a flask used for toilet oils,
perfume, or condiments, and also appears in
funerary contexts, where it was used to pour
libations for the dead or was left on the grave as
an offering.
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Vases used for
athletics
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Aryballos
This vase was a small flask with a narrow neck used
to hold and pour oil; it is often shown in Attic
vase painting as being suspended from the wrist of
an athlete, or looped by a string and hung on the
wall.
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Alabastron
This vase was an elongated flask with a narrow neck
used to contain oil. Like the aryballos, it was
sometimes suspended from an athlete's wrist or from
a peg on the wall.
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