Terracotta Bail Amphora (jar) 310 BC

Curator: Isn't this Bail Amphora just astonishing? Crafted around 310 BC, it is currently residing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: Woah, there is a sense of mythology here. Is that Perseus riding Pegasus I see? Curator: Exactly! It's like stepping right into an ancient Greek narrative, isn’t it? I imagine there are scenes of heroic battles being told and glorious homecomings being remembered as these ceramics were molded by potters in their image. It also gives us clues as to what ancient folks value, from heroism to storytelling and to art itself. What I’m even more fond of is how well the shapes of all these elements combine harmoniously in just a small space. It certainly isn’t easy to tell that whole grand history here, in such vivid visual details, by just painting it on ceramics. Editor: Definitely. Notice the intricate wave patterns at the bottom—classic! Then, higher up, you’ve got Pegasus in full flight and this dude—Perseus—looking very sure of himself with that spear ready and everything. But right beneath him is the lion which really captures how they approached wildness and fear back then. All these mythological images make it feel as if those epic Greek tales just unfolded. It feels…grand! Curator: True! The Amphora would've been used for storage. But you see it feels that there is more that we can infer by what images the potters painted in it. Back in Ancient Greece, scenes such as these were used to symbolize power, prestige, prosperity and sophistication which would mean this wasn't a cheap product, meaning people had access to luxury! Even just thinking that history is trapped in this small terracotta figure itself gives you this almost magical feeling. Editor: Yes! There is this…wholeness in feeling the passage of time itself. Knowing someone poured energy into forming each piece, from start to end, is amazing in itself. Thank you so much! I've come to value Ancient Greek Ceramics far more!