Images

The Oinochoe (or oenochoe) is one of the key forms of painted terracotta Greek pottery; it is a form of wine jug. Centaurs were half man and half horse. This combination of brute strength and strong instinct meant that they could be volatile...

A black-figure amphora depicting Hercules and an Amazon. Attica, Greece, 6th century BCE. (National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK)

Oil, especially olive oil, was stored in specialized Greek pottery; lekythos (pleural, lekythoi). Many lekythoi were found inside tombs; they were used to anoint the dead bodies of single men. Mainly dull red and black paints were used by...

A hydria is a vessel used for carrying water and is one of the types of Greek pottery. It has 3 handles; 2 horizontal for carrying the vessel and one perpendicular for pouring the water. This vessel was painted by Polygnotus. The scene...

A kylix is a Greek wine drinking-cup which was primarily used at a drinking party (symposium). In this balanced design, the Triptolemos painter (an ancient Greek vase painter) creatively separated the crumpled figure of the defeated Persian...

The vase is bell-shaped and depicts hunter-warrior figures with trophy heads. This is a typical "late" Nazca vessel with a proliferous design. The subject is depicted in profile and there is a use of complex and repeated motifs. This artistic...

Human representation is a dominant and varied theme in later Nazca pottery. Men and women in stiff poses are shown individually and in groups. These tall sculpted vases offer interesting detail relating to ornate Nazca textile and types of...

Human representation is a dominant and varied theme in later Nazca pottery. Men and women in stiff poses are shown individually and in groups. These tall sculpted vases offer interesting detail relating to ornate Nazca textiles and clthing...

Battle scenes, warriors and trophy heads appear on later Nazca pottery. However, decapitation scenes are rare. This tall sculpted vase shows a man in the processes of decapitating a male warrior. The changes in iconography suggest that Nazca...

Double-spouted vessel with a spotted cat. Mythical creatures are frequently depicted on Nazca vessels. Combinations of multiple elements result in a wide range of forms. The spotted cat figure represents the pampas cat, native to the south...