Ancient Mediterranean Study Guides

Reading Greek Vases

Contents

• Introduction
  • Ubiquity of pottery
  • A short history
  • Vase production
  • Types of vase
• Technique
  • Introduction to technique
  • Why are painted Greek vases important for understanding the past?
  • How do we read Greek vases?
• Study Questions
• References & Links

Study Questions

Please look at these vases and try to answer the following questions (remember to use the Reed Ancient Mediterranean Image Database. Click on each image for more information and close-up pictures):

1. What kind of vase is this?
2. What was its use?
3. When do you think it was produced?
4. Analyze the vase in terms of its formal elements. Consider patterns, colors, use of space, exploitation of the shape.
5. Analyze the vase in terms of its iconography. What kind of scene is being portrayed? What is the relationship between the scene and the vase’s function?

+ enlarge

+ enlarge

How do we read Greek vases? < Previous | Next > References & Links