What was the function of the Geometric period dipylon Painter amphora?



Around the mid-eighth century BCE the human form of the Geometric period began to develop on Dipylon vases. These vases are very large in size (nearly two meters) and were used as grave markers, with craters marking the places of males and amphorae marking those of females.

What is the function of amphora?

An amphora, such as the one at left, is a two-handled storage jar that held oil, wine, milk, or grain. Amphora was also the term for a unit of measure. Amphoras were sometimes used as grave markers or as containers for funeral offerings or human remains. Painter of Berlin 1686, about 540 B.C.

What was the geometric krater used for?

The epic poet describes the difficult life of the Geometric farmer. There are, however, few archaeological remains that describe everyday life during this period. Monumental kraters, originally used as grave markers, depict funerary rituals and heroic warriors.

What was the Mycenaean amphora used for?





Amphorae, which survive in great numbers, were used as storage and transport vessels for olives, cereal, oil, and wine (the wine amphora was a standard Attic measure of about 41 quarts [39 litres]) and, in outsize form, for funerals and as grave markers.

What is Geometric amphora?

Geometric Amphora. Large amphora from the Geometric Era. It is decorated with a funerary scene among the rows of geometric patterns. It is about five feet tall and it was found in Dipylon in Athens.

Why were amphora shaped the way they were?

It is possible that amphora were so shaped to prevent them rolling any distance – the shape would cause them to roll in a tight circle and this would make them safer when transported by sea as they would not upset the weight distribution on the small and fragile vessels of the time.

What was amphora in Roman Empire?

In the Roman empire amphorae were pottery containers used for the non-local transport of agricultural products. Their fragments litter archaeological sites of all kinds on land and at sea and have been a subject of serious study for over 100 years.



What was the original function of this vase in ancient Greece?



What was the original function of this large vase in ancient Greece (the Dipylon Amphora)? – It was a grave marker in a cemetery.

What are the main characteristics of the Geometric period in art?

The Geometric period was the first specifically Greek style of vase painting. It was characterized by linear motifs such as spirals, diamonds, and cross-hatching. Abstract forms were used to represent human figures.