Amphora (storage vessel)
Date: 800-700 BCE
Dimensions:
H (as restored): 22 5/8 in. (57.5 cm); Diam (body): 11 5/8 in. (29.5 cm); Diam (foot): 4 5/16 in. (11 cm)
Medium: Wheel-thrown, slip-decorated earthenware
Place of Origin: Greece, from Attica
Classification: Ceramics
Credit Line: Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number: 1926.43
Label Text:With patterns and designs covering every inch, this vase is an example of what is now called the Geometric period of Greek art. Although most of the decoration takes the form of abstract motifs such as triangles, zigzags, Xs, and dots, there are some figures present. On the neck you can spy two heraldic horses tethered to a central post, while on the body a row of horses parade to the left. Long-necked birds are depicted directly below the neck of the vase. The Geometric period was a time of growth in Greece when the city-state (polis) was formed, the Greek alphabet adopted, and epic poems like the Iliad and Odyssey composed.
On view
In Collection(s)