Amphora Definition

[John Beaver]

I see a lot of people calling their turnings "amphora" lately. Thought this was interesting.


An amphora is a type of vase-shaped, container with two handles and a long neck narrower than the body. The word amphora is Latin, derived from the Greek amphoreus, a compound word combining amphi- ("on both sides", "twain") plus phoreus ("carrier"), from pherein ("to carry"), referring to the vessel's two carrying handles on opposite sides.

[Prashun Patel]

HAHA! I thought amphora was a type of wood. Or was that 'camphora'?

[John Keeton]

John, when DD started these forms, and actually John Hart before him, I did some study on the various Greek forms, and your research is correct. While there are many variations, it appears most of the turnings are taken generally from this form - minus the handles.
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Good thread, BTW!!

[Bill Embrey]

Cool thread, made me go look up Amphora to see what they looked like... I might try a doing an amphoriskoi (little amphorae)... making contrasting handles might add to the fun also.

[David DeCristoforo]

Actually I did not start calling "amphoras" amphoras until Jeff Nichol told me that was what they were called! The first time I heard the term I presumed it was an incomplete sentence. "Am for a"... what? And who is for it? I? We? Like "I am for a better and more peaceful world?" At any rate, no one around here has any "claim" to this form as it is as ancient as could be.

[Curt Fuller]

Actually I did not start calling "amphoras" amphoras until Jeff Nichol told me that was what they were called! The first time I heard the term I presumed it was an incomplete sentence. "Am for a"... what? And who is for it? I? We? Like "I am for a better and more peaceful world?" At any rate, no one around here has any "claim" to this form as it is as ancient as could be.

But, DD, one of you amphoras would look really cool with the two handles.

[David E Keller]

Interesting tidbit! If I understand DD correctly, he's blaming the whole thing on Jeff Nicol!

[Rick Markham]

I blame the Greeks for getting it wrong... and Jeff for telling David... and David for getting the shape stuck in my head :)

Handles smandles... :D

Besides mine is a "faux" amphora :p

[charlie knighton]

it really is amazing that ancient people had such good eye for form weather it be cave art, pottery, pyramids, tile floors, star watching buildings.......i just can not understand how they did all these things without watching football on tv, btw..go hokies

[John Keeton]

Charlie, the real question is how they came up with these forms without HGTV?!??!?:D

[Robert Henrickson]

After forty years of working with ancient pottery ranging from 5000 BC onward, from much of the Near East, I can tell you that a lot of it, even Greek, can be just plain ugly, or just plain. At one site, I've handled roughtly half a million sherds ranging in date from 1600-150 BC. It is the better pieces that the public tend to be aware of -- very few people other than archaeologists are interested in the utilitarian pottery, which comprises more than 90% of the pottery used in a society. Some of the amphora forms, such as those which have been seen here, can be quite elegant, but many look more like the strictly functional shipping containers that they were. One I excavated would be heavily criticized here for form: flat/horizontal shoulder, right-angle to body which was essentially cylindrical, poorly shaped short neck, etc. Certainly every aspect of it violated the Golden Ratio, but as bulk shipping container, it worked.

[John Keeton]

One I excavated would be heavily criticized here for form: flat/horizontal shoulder, right-angle to body which was essentially cylindrical, poorly shaped short neck, etc. Certainly every aspect of it violated the Golden Ratio, but as bulk shipping container, it worked.Kinda like a 55 gallon drum - ain't purty, but gets the job done!!

[Rick Markham]

I would like to add that having taken a ceramics class, utilitarian or not, making a large coil pot isn't easy, but requires few tools and is an ancient technique. Once mine is fired (It's just been glazed) I will post pics of my feeble attempt to make a symmetrical coil pot, it's far from symmetrical, and my form is crude at best, but it was an entirely new experience. Whoever it was that figured out that technique in pottery, probably influenced more of the modern world than most of us realize. If any of you have the chance to get to build a coil pot, I highly recommend taking the opportunity to do so!