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Pelike



A variation of the one-piece amphora, so called because the neck flows smoothly into the body, in contrast to the offset neck of a neck amphora.

History: The shape first appears in Attic red-figure after 520 B.C. and remains popular through the fourth century B.C. The shape is taken over by the potters of Gnathia, where it becomes slimmer and more fanciful. The widest portion of the pelike is towards its base.

Term: The Greek word "pelike" was not applied to this shape in ancient times but was adopted by modern archaeologists; the ancient "pelike" is described variously as a kylix, a chous (or small oinochoe), and a lekanis.





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