A pelike ( grc, πελίκη) is a one-piece

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain, ...

container similar to an

amphora An amphora (; grc, ἀμφορεύς, ''amphoreús''; English plural: amphorae or amphoras) is a type of container with a pointed bottom and characteristic shape and size which fit tightly (and therefore safely) against each other in storag ...

. It has two open handles that are vertical on their lateral aspects and even at the side with the edge of the belly, a narrow neck, a flanged mouth, and a sagging, almost spherical belly. Unlike the often-pointed bottom of many amphorae, the pelike's bottom is always flanged so it will stand on its own. Pelikes are often intricately painted, usually depicting a scene involving people. The shape first appeared at the end of the 6th century BCE and continued to the 4th century BCE. The pelike's function is not known for certain, but many classical experts speculate, due to its shape, the locations they have been found and the subject matter they are decorated with, that pelikes were wine containers.

References

External links

Apulian Red-Figure Pelike British Museum: Red-figure pelike, attributed to the Marsyas Painter
Containers Ancient Greek pot shapes {{AncientGreece-archaeology-stub