Geometric Storage Jar (Belly-Handled Amphora)
| Culture | Greek |
|---|---|
| Title | Geometric Storage Jar (Belly-Handled Amphora) |
| Date | 760–740 BCE |
| Medium | Terracotta and pigment |
| Dimensions | Object: 28 × 14 1/4 in. (71.1 × 36.2 cm) Overall: 28 × 14 1/4 in. (71.1 × 36.2 cm) |
| Credit Line | Given in Honor of Burton Y. Berry and Herman B Wells by Thomas T. Solley, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 79.68 |
| This artwork is currently on view. | |
A large jar has two horizontal handles on the oval-shaped body and a tall, slightly flaring neck. It is covered with black bands alternating with bands of geometric patterns. A series of concentric circles decorate the jar's widest area between its handles, and a largepattern of squares created by one continuous line circles the neck.
Like other large pots made in the earliest phase of Greek history, this amphora was probably used as a grave marker. Its size indicates great skill, since the creation of large-scale pottery is technically challenging. It is also a fine example of the developing interest in precisely drawn geometric decoration, a characteristic that gave the Geometric period its name. The concentric circles were made using a compass with multiple brushes attached.
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
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"Geometric Storage Jar (Belly-Handled Amphora) | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=79.68