Greek / Greek Revival Style - Table of Contents ............... Architecture Around the World

Greek amphorae
Museum of Art and History in Geneva, Switzerland

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Guilloche

Greek fret

Greek fret

Grape vines (shown with Dionysus, the god of wine)

Anthemion (honeysuckle or palmettes with foliage below)

Anthemion (honeysuckle or palmettes with foliage below)

Anthemion (honeysuckle or palmettes with foliage below) ... Vitruvian scroll

Anthemion (honeysuckle or palmettes with foliage below)

Anthemion (honeysuckle or palmettes with foliage below)

Anthemion (honeysuckle or palmettes with foliage below) ... Greek fret

In the Unabridged Second Edition of Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language, amphora is pronounced: AM for ra. The plural, amphorae, is pronounced: AM for ree.

The word comes from the Latin which came from the Greek: amphoreus, amphiphoreus, meaning "a jar with two handles."

Definition: A jar or vase of a type characterized by a large oval or egg-shaped body, narrow cylindrical neck, and two handles rising nearly to the level of the orifice.

Amphorae are of two classes:

(1) Those designed for holding or storing wine, oil, honey, corn, etc., which are commonly undecorated and usually pointed at the bottom (for fastening in the earth);

(2) Decorated amphorae, used chiefly as ornaments or given as Prizes, as in the Panathenaic festival, where the victors in the games received painted amphorae (filled with oil (from the sacred olives) of a characteristic style. Decorated amphorae were provided with disk-shaped bases. The amphorae appeared in Greece in the period of geometric decoration.



Photos and their arrangement © 2004 Chuck LaChiusa
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