Apart from their decidedly utilitarian
use as storage vessels, Greek vases embody one of the most fascinating
pictorial representations of Greek society through the ages. What we
know about ancient Greek customs we find not only in literary texts,
but displayed for our perusal on those most common of household utensils,
utility pots for storage from olive oil, wine and water to funerary
ashes. That most basic principle of Greek civilization, the interrelatedness
between creative spirit and human endeavour, is embodied in every single
In this small but representative collection of Greek vases, something
is captured of the spirit of ancient Greece that has infused our civilization
to such advantage. Let the pots therefore speak for themselves!
Click on picture for more
By the 2nd millennium BC glass already
was produced to a high standard, especially in Egypt and Crete. It was
mainly used as adornment. Faience articles were common in the Greek
world, but after the technique of glass-blowing (1st century BC, probably
in Syria) was developed, glass objects became generally available for
utilitarian purposes - to the extent that glass replaced pottery in
the Roman Empire.
Roman glass shows much variety in form and decoration. One of the most
interesting uses of glass is in small teardrop glass bottles. Tears
were collected in these bottles as a physical indication of feeling
for the deceased and were buried with him/her. Cameos also developed
as glass techniques improved, reaching a highpoint in the 1st century
BC. Glass production flourished in the time of the emperor Augustus.
Glass for windows was known by the 1st century AD (vide Pompeii, 79
AD). In the later Roman Empire glass was used as mirrors.
Click on picture for more examples