Classic Vase Styles and Shapes

Alabastron
Named for the alabaster material from which they were made, alabastrons were first designed by Egyptians, who modeled the alabastron's elongated, narrow neck on the shape of the palm tree. But it was the Greeks who introduced alabastrons to the world. An alabastron was used to carry perfume or oil, and could be plugged with a cork and tied to the wrist with strings.

Amphora
The origin of the amphora can be traced to the 15th Century B.C.E. along the coast of Lebanon and Syria. Amphorae are large, two-handled vases with long, slender necks. The shape of the amphora vase was ideal for storage and transportation of products like wine and grain.

Aryballos
A spherical, globular vase surmounted by a narrow neck, often with a wide, flat brim, the aryballos evolved from the 9th Century B.C.E. wine jar known as an oinochoe. Aryballoi are often seen in vase paintings depicting athletes bathing.

Hydria
As you'd surmise from its name, this three-handled vase (two small handles on either side with a large vertical handle on the neck) was primarily used to draw water. In a very strange juxtaposition, hydria vases were also used as ballot boxes and urns.

Kantharos
The shapes of kantharos vases were perfect for drinking. This vase features a deep center cup with a pair of looped handles that extend high above the brim. Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, was often shown holding a kantharos vase.

Krater
Krater is a Greek verb meaning "to mix," and the origin of this vase shape was as a tool for mixing wine and water. For easy accessibility, krater vases were usually very large with a broad body and wide, open mouth.

Kylix
A Greek drinking cup with a broad, shallow body and two wide symmetrical handles, the kylix owes its origin to lazy drinkers. The kylix shape was perfect for recumbent imbibers at drinking parties. For that reason, kylixes were usually decorated with humorous or sexual images.

Lebes Gamikos
The origin of this shape was the lebes, a deep bowl with a round bottom, but a lebes gamikos, meaning marriage bowl, was a three-piece vase used in wedding rituals. A lebes gamikos was made up of a wedding bowl with looping handles, a tapered stand, and a lid.

Lekythos
The lekythos vase shape was a long, cylindrical body tapering to a round base, and above, a looped handle attached to one side of the narrow neck. Lekythoi were used to store oil, and were frequently used as funeral offerings.

Oinochoe
The oinochoe or oenochoe vase had its origin in the classical period of Greek pottery. Its tapered neck and lipped brim were joined to an asymmetrical curved handle. As mentioned above, the oinochoe was a wine jug that influenced the development of the aryballos.

Psykter
The psykter vase featured a bulbous body and short neck atop a high cylindrical foot. A psykter was often used in conjunction with a krater. The large krater would be filled with snow or cold water, and then a psykter full of wine sat in the krater until it was chilled.

Pyxis
Less a vase than a round, lidded box, the pyxis was used by Greek women to hold cosmetics, drugs, and jewelry. Pyxis vases usually featured red-figure paintings of a young bride traveling to the house of her new husband.