Getty Museum

Pomegranate vase

Date

725–700 B.C.

Medium

Terracotta

Culture

Greek (Attic)

Department

Vessels

Institution

Getty Museum

Shaped like a pomegranate, this vessel has a spherical body decorated with horizontal bands of geometic patterns. A short stem with a flat top at one end is pierced horizontally for suspension. In Greek art, the pomegranate symbolized life and rebirth, and many similar vases have been found in graves. The geometric patterns on this cup are characteristic of a new artistic style that emerged in Greece between 900 B.C. and 700 B.C., accordingly known as the Geometric period. Appearing first in Athens, this style quickly spread throughout the Greek world. Rows of meanders, chevrons, triangles, and checkerboard designs often covered the entire surface of decorated vases.

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