Ancient Greek Pottery

Ancient pottery, also known as ceramics, is the creation of objects out of clay, and then hardened by a heat source. Pottery was the first type of functional art, after body painting, to be seen during the early phase of the Stone age. You’ll find a variety of pottery of all shapes, ages and sizes from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.

An ancient silver coin is called a Drachma. It is one of the world’s oldest coins and was the equivalent of the value of a handful of arrows.

What is most unique about ancient Italian pottery is its finish. Many pieces featured a tin glaze that is highly resistant to chipping and fading. The technique dates back to 9th-century Mesopotamia. You'll find a large selection of Italian pottery on 1stDibs.

In ancient China, pottery was primarily used for cooking, storing and serving food. Throughout the Han Dynasty, the art of pottery evolved to include ceramic figures, the best example of this being the TerraCotta Warriors who guard the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Find a variety of antique Chinese pottery from many different eras on 1stDibs.

The difference between black-figure and red-figure Greek pottery is that in black-figure pottery, figural and ornamental motifs were applied with a slip that turned black during firing and the background was color of the clay, whereas the decorative motifs on red-figure vases remained the color of the clay; the background, filled in with a slip, turned black. Red-figure is essentially the reverse of a black figure. On 1stDibs, shop vintage and antique Greek pottery.