This lovely miniature pointed amphora, has serpentine handles each with a ram head finial. In antiquity the terracotta pointed amphora - a two-handled storage vessel - was used to hold olive oil or grain. They were stored on their sides. Incised on the belly of the amphora is 'KORINTHIA' in Greek letters. This is the region around the city of Corinth, which was a flourishing commercial city in antiquity, situated on the isthmus connecting mainland Greece to the Peloponnese. There are many amphorae such as this in the museum at Corinth.
small bronze pointed amphora with ram head motifs
dimensions
Height in stand: 16cmmore about rams
The ram represents authority and nobility, virility and fertility, power and leadership. Zeus and Hermes are associated with the ram in Greek mythology, Cernunnos in the Celtic, Amun Ra in the Egyptian, Thor in the Scandinavian.
Alexander the Great after his death is depicted on coinage with ram's horns, as he thought himself the son of Zeus Amun. The horns represented and confirmed his deification.
about the bronze collection
The bronze pieces are cast in Greece using the traditional lost wax method. As nothing is mass-produced, there will inevitably be slight variations in texture, patina, and colour. No two pieces are ever the same. If mounted on a marble base, it will be a black or very dark grey base. There may be a variation of some millimetres in the dimensions of the base from time to time.
It's All Greek is proud to have been working with the Semitekolo family foundry since 1999. It has been a privilege to handle these gorgeous pieces and to sell them to customers all over the world.