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Ancient Greek Pottery Shapes

From the 7th century B.C. forward, Greek pottery was made of the red-bodied indigenous clay and typically decorated in two or three colors. The most common paint colors used were black, red, yellow or white. Although collectively, most ancient Greek pottery items are called pots, there were many distinct shapes of vessels made. Four of the most widely recognized shapes of ancient Greek pottery have unique purposes and names.

The Amphora
- The amphora was a large bulbous pottery vessel, typically with handles that curved downward on either side at the top. These vessels ranged in size from being small and hand-held to being large and barrel-sized. They were used to store wine, oil, grain or honey. In addition, winners of the Panathenaic Games were often given an ornately decorated amphora as a trophy. In modern times, a pottery vessel shaped like an amphora is typically called a floor vase or oil jar.
The Oinochoe and Hydria
- The oinochoe is similar to the amphora in shape in that it is a bulbous pottery vessel with downward curved handles on the sides at the top. However, the oinochoe was used as a wine jug. It had a lip for pouring at the top and it could have one or two handles. The oinochoe was not as big as the amphora. It was typically a hand-held vessel. The hydria was a similar vessel in size and shape, used as a water jug.
The Lekythos
- The lekythos was a slender vase-shaped vessel with a narrow mouth and one downward turned handle on the side at the top. It was a type of oil flask or jar. These vessels were typically hand-held items. They were used to contain sacred oils used in funerals and religious ceremonies. In modern times, a vessel with the shape of a lekythos is called an ewer or a small pitcher.
The Kylix
- Another uniquely shaped pottery vessel from ancient Greece was the kylix. The kylix was small enough to be hand held and was used as a cup for drinking liquids. It was shaped like a shallow, footed bowl with a wide mouth and handles that were cupped upward, located on either side of the bowl halfway up. In modern times, we call items shaped like the kylix "compotes." However, most modern compotes don't have handles.

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