7 Things to Know about Greek Vases

When looking at the “Golden Eras” of history, such as the years dominated by the ancient Greeks, it is important to understand how their cultural advancements led to a specific aesthetic design that many cultures and artists would look to for inspiration for the rest of recorded time. Recognition of this cultural significance and beauty is why many people would love to own a Greek vase of their own.

When it comes to ancient Greek vases in particular, there are a handful of things that everyone should know. This way, anyone can look at these beautiful works of art with a greater level of appreciation.

6 Things to Know About Greek Vases

With ancient Greek vases knowledge and experience varies widely, many people are looking at these beautiful works of art for the first time, and many others have studied the medium for years. Regardless of your level of familiarity with these works of art, it is possible to understand certain key elements, and how they can affect the price or rarity of a piece:

1. The Size: Greek pottery typically varied widely in sizes. For example, a master craftsman would create everything from tremendous mixing bowls to small cups. Therefore, it is important to understand these differences, and how they can affect the price of the piece. In general, larger pieces that are still in good condition are more valuable to collectors and command a much higher price point. On the other hand, smaller pieces are more likely to survive with minimal damage, and therefore, are more common, and less expensive when compared to larger pieces.
2. The Restoration Process: There are many examples of Greek pottery that has been restored over the years. In general, the more a single piece has been restored, the more collectors will need to be careful, especially when older and less sustainable restoration methods have been used. As pieces are restored more and more times over the years, they start to lose more of their ancient authenticity. Therefore, everyone needs to make sure they understand just how many times a piece has been restored, and through which methods, as this can dramatically impact its value.
3. The Signature: There were a handful of famous ancient Greek craftsman that lived thousands of years ago, and a small number of these ancient pottery pieces actually bear the signature of the artisan who made them. Even though the potter and painter are not always the same person, there is a chance they could be. In particular, any ancient Greek piece that still has a signature on it is a particularly valuable. If there is a signature from both the potter and the painter, this only drives up the overall value of the piece even further.
4. The Purpose of the Piece: Similar to the various pots and pans that we use today, different forms of Greek pottery had different purposes. For example, some smaller Greek vases were designed specifically to be used as drinking vessels. Other examples of Greek pottery include pieces were designed to be used as containers for the mixing of liquids prior to serving. There are even some types of ancient Greek pottery that had very unique and specialized uses, such as those that were used for sacred ceremonies, or placed upon graves as offerings. Objects that were produced for religious usages are of exceeding rarity and importance historically, and will typically be very expensive as a result.
5. The Color of the Vase: In some cases, it is possible to use the color of the vase to determine exactly when it was made. During classical Greek times, most Greek vases that existed were created primarily using a mixture of red, black, and white. The red color came from the local clay that was used to make the piece. The white was painted onto the vessel using paint that was made from a different clay. Finally, the black color came from an adhesive, alkaline paint that was commonly used to complete the decorating process. It is possible that other colors were used on these ancient Greek vessels; however, many have not stood the test of time, and will only be present due to restoration efforts, or in high-quality reproductions.
6. The Storytelling: Finally, particularly on the larger pieces, it is common to see stories told on the vessels themselves. Typically, when telling a story, the artist would exclude architectural structures. Instead, the artist would focus on the people or gods involved in the story. Usually, the wide, spherical bodies of the vases were used to tell tales and myths. Often, the story would be told in a linear fashion as the vase was twisted from side to side. Everything from the battles of heroes to the actions of the gods was depicted on these vessels.
7. These are just a few of the many points that you should keep in mind when examining ancient Greek vases and pottery. As with anything else, recognizing these markers of design and artisan care requires experience. The other important thing to consider with historically important works such as these, is the historical and cultural information and knowledge that can be gained from their preservation and protection. This is why many collectors today opt to loan their collection to history museums, where they can not only be admired and studied by historians but can also receive the preservative care that museums can offer. With this in mind, many collectors are looking to companies that are capable of providing authentically crafted replicas of these important parts of history.

Purchase High-Quality and Authentically Crafted Replicas

If you are looking for high-quality, authentically crafted replicas, then you need to understand that not all replicas are created equal. At Museum Replicas, we take a tremendous amount of pride in our work. We create our replicas using the same processes that were used in ancient Greece. Following these traditional Athenian methods, we create our replicas with painstaking attention to detail, ensuring that all of our vases are authentic representations of the historic artifacts that they are modeled off of.

With the authentic replicas that we produce, you can bring home the historic and beautiful Greek vases that you could otherwise only enjoy at the Museum. If you would like to learn more about our high-quality replicas of ancient Greek Vases, please give us a call today.