Hood Museum of Art

Ancient Greek Vase

By Talman Fortune

Throughout history there have been many different cultures around the world that have created thousands of forms of art that have intrigued the people of that time. Art can tell a story, provoke thought, and even disturb people. One of the most interesting periods in time was ancient Greece where the stories from their religion inspired many creative and intriguing pieces of art. The Hood Art Museum at Dartmouth College holds many pieces of art from many time periods but one piece that catches the eye is the Ancient Greek terracotta amphora vase on display in the first room of the museum.

This vase was created around 480 BCE as an award for the winner of the wrestling event at the Greater Panathenaic Games. One side of the vase depicts the event that it was awarded for, wrestling, while the other side shows the goddess Athena in armor with her shield, Aegis.

This piece of work is very intriguing because when it was created it wasn’t intended to be a piece of art like it is viewed today but instead to be a tool used to hold liquids and as an award. It is amazing that even though the vase was created about 2500 years ago, it has withstood the test of time and is here today. Today, like when it was first created, it isn’t used for a single cause. In addition, to being viewed as a piece of art today it also holds a massive amount of historical value that has been used to learn more about Athens at the time it was created. Although it wasn’t originally intended to be artwork, this vase from ancient Greece can safely be considered a beautiful piece of art today.