CHF 12.50
This vase, shaped like an ancient amphora, seems to whisper stories of times long past. Its glossy glaze flows in gentle shades across the surface, catching the light as if preserving the secrets of old workshops. With an opening of 10 cm and a height of 15 cm, it is delicate and yet powerful in its presence. Every flower you place in it gains significance, gains gravitas. In your home, it not only adds authenticity but also the warm feeling of truly having arrived, as if it had always belonged there.
The scope of delivery includes one piece of this beautiful vase. It is lovingly and well protected, shipped directly from our warehouse in Switzerland.
The amphora, derived from the Greek word “amphoreus” for the two-handled vessel, is one of the most characteristic objects of the ancient world. Originally made of clay, and more rarely of metal, it served as a transport and storage container for wine, oil, grain, or fish sauces across the early Mediterranean, essentially the “containers” of antiquity. Its typical shape, bulbous, narrow-necked, and equipped with two handles, made it not only practical to carry but also ideal for stacking in the holds of ancient trading ships. Finds from shipwrecks reveal entire cargo spaces filled with amphorae arranged in geometric precision.
Beyond its function as a utilitarian object, the amphora also served as a unit of measurement: in Roman times, an “amphora” corresponded to roughly 26 liters. The variety of forms, decorations, and production sites allows archaeologists today to reconstruct trade routes, production centers, and even political influences. Particularly valuable are the stamps and incisions, small marks or initials, that provide information about origin, manufacturer, and sometimes the owner or contents.
In Greece and Rome, different types developed: the neck amphora with its distinctly separated neck, the rounded pelike with a stable base, or the Panathenaic prize amphora, awarded to victors in athletic competitions. Later Roman forms such as the “Dressel 20” or “Dressel 1B” reveal mass production for the Empire’s globalized trade. Entire hills of sherds, such as Monte Testaccio in Rome, testify to this enormous flow of goods.
Beyond its pure utility, the amphora also held cultural significance: artfully painted, it served as a grave offering, a cult object, or later as an inspiration for glass and metal vessels. Splendid examples such as the Portland Vase in the British Museum demonstrate how enduring its elegant silhouette has been in art and craftsmanship.
Even in the Middle Ages and early modern period, the shape continued in Byzantium, Spain, and England, though simplified, pointed bases gave way to rounded ones, and the dual handles disappeared. Today, the amphora appears mainly as a decorative object or a symbol of ancient grandeur. Yet in every curve and every handle lives the idea of its time: beauty and purpose in perfect balance, a relic that tells the story of trade, art, and human ingenuity.
The vase, from the Latin vas meaning “vessel,” has accompanied humanity for millennia as a symbol of beauty, practicality, and craftsmanship. Originally conceived as a simple hollow form, it evolved into one of the central objects of human creativity. Whether made of glass, ceramic, metal, or stone, the vase unites function and form in perfect harmony. Traditionally rounded with a narrow neck, it has been used for storing, displaying, or decorating throughout history.
In ancient Greece, the vase reached its golden age. Painted amphorae, kraters, and lekythoi were not only everyday objects but carriers of myths, heroic tales, and scenes of daily life. Today, they are considered the most important surviving sources of ancient painting. Every form, curve, and motif reflects the ideals of its era, from the strictness of the Archaic period to the elegant lines of the Classical age.
After antiquity, the vase transformed from a ritual or household object into a symbol of taste and representation. In the Middle Ages, it appears mainly in religious imagery, for example in Annunciation scenes where glass vessels filled with lilies symbolize the purity of Mary. The Renaissance brought the motif back into the secular world, where artists and collectors valued the grace of ancient models.
In the Baroque and Rococo periods, the vase flourished in opulence, whether as a magnificent porcelain vessel or a sparkling figure in still lifes. It became a symbol of bourgeois splendor and domestic elegance. The 18th and 19th centuries embraced it as a key decorative element, such as the potpourri vase or the elaborate cabinet garniture.
The vase also found its place in architecture: carved from stone, bronze, or stucco, it crowned balustrades, portals, and garden landscapes. Especially in French garden design, it became a symbol of orderly beauty, the “perfect conclusion” of a visual axis.
In the 20th century, the vase became an expression of artistic freedom. With the rise of studio pottery, it transformed into an autonomous artwork, free from utility and dedicated solely to the interplay of form, color, and glaze. Even in the trenches of World War I, it found new meaning: “soldier vases” made from spent shell casings became silent witnesses of memory and humanity amid destruction.
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