Pottery Amphora at The British Museum, London

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Pottery amphora with applied jewel motifs and grotesque heads features a missing neck and handles. During the Southern and Northwestern dynasties, Chinese potters adopted this jewel motif for use on glazed ceramics further east. The amphora originated from Yotkan, capital of Khotan's kingdom in modern Xinjiang Province. An amphora is a type of container with a characteristic shape and size that dates back to at least the Neolithic period. These containers were used in vast numbers for transporting and storing various products, mostly wine. Ceramic is the most common material used for amphorae, but examples have also been found in metals and other materials. Amphorae complement large storage containers called pithoi, which hold capacities between one-half and two and a half tons. In contrast, an amphora holds under a half-ton, typically less than 100 pounds. The bodies of the two types have similar shapes. Pithoi often feature multiple small loops or lugs for fastening a rope harness, while amphorae have expansive handles joining the shoulder of the body and a long neck. The necks of pithoi are wide for scooping or bucket access, whereas the necks of amphorae are narrow for pouring by a person holding it by the bottom and a handle. Some variants exist, with missing handles or varying sizes that may require two or three handlers to lift. For the most part, an amphora was tableware, intended to be seen, and was finely decorated as such by master painters. Stoppers made of perishable materials were used to seal the contents of amphorae, which have rarely survived. Two principal types of amphorae existed: the neck amphora, where the neck and body meet at a sharp angle; and the one-piece amphora, in which the neck and body form a continuous curve. Neck amphorae were commonly used in ancient Greece's early history but were gradually replaced by the one-piece type from around the 7th century BC onward. Most amphorae were produced with a pointed base to allow upright storage by embedding in soft ground, such as sand. This facilitated transport by ship, where the amphorae were packed upright or on their sides in as many as five staggered layers. If upright, the bases probably were held by some sort of rack, and ropes passed through their handles to prevent shifting or toppling during rough seas. Heather and reeds might be used as packing around the vases, while racks could be used in kitchens and shops. The base also concentrated deposits from liquids with suspended solid particles, such as olive oil and wines. Amphorae are of great use to maritime archaeologists, as they often indicate the age of a shipwreck and the geographic origin of the cargo. They are occasionally so well preserved that the original content is still present, providing information on foodstuffs and mercantile systems. Amphorae were too cheap and plentiful to return to their origin-point and so, when empty, they were broken up at their destination. At a breakage site in Rome, Testaccio, close to the Tiber, the fragments, later wetted with Calcium hydroxide (Calce viva), remained to create a hill now named Monte Testaccio, 45 m high and more than 1 km in circumference. This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source community effort; if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help. Scanned: Photogrammetry (Processed using Agisoft PhotoScan)