Hadra vase

The modern technical term Hadra vases refers to a group of Hellenistic painted hydria. In addition to the late Panathenaic Preisamphoren it is the only major group figurative or ornamental painted vases of the 3rd century BC

Your name has modern vases genus according to one of the main localities, a cemetery in Hadra near Alexandria. Today, about 300 copies are known. They originated from white-ground hydriai, which were formerly reckoned also to this genus. The painting was made with dark varnish, in the early period, some vases polychrome (multi-colored ) were painted. It was initially assumed that the vases a product Greco- Egyptian pottery was more recent scientific studies have shown, however, that the origin of hydriai Central Crete was. Here, the bulk of the obtained pieces was produced. The research different now four main groups among the Hadra vases: the laurel group, which has been researched and you can assign 14 vase painter, the dolphin group with eight known painters, Simple group and the group with the branchless bay leaves, in one can distinguish two painters so far. The Simple group is considered today as the oldest representative of the genus ceramic, it is so called because their paint was particularly undemanding. The group with the branchless laurel leaves is the only group of producers from Alexandria, it is time to put late.

There were not only in Egypt Hadra vases. Also on Crete was found a not inconsiderable amount that were used there mainly in the domestic sector. In Alexandria, where the majority of the vases were exported, found the hydriai primarily as funerary urns in the cult of the dead using. At about 30 vases were found accurate information about the deceased, such as name, rank and origin, as well as the name of the official who was in charge of the funeral and the burial date, and sometimes up to the exact death or day of the funeral. These were to Messenger and mercenary leader who died in Alexandria and were given a state funeral. Through the labels some vases could be exactly dated, even if the absence of the name of the currently reigning Ptolemy, was dated after his years in government, has led to occasional controversies in research. In research, it is assumed that the first labeled vases are to be set around the year 260 BC, the last decorated vases in the first years of the 2nd century BC Undecorated Hadra vases are still to the first century produced BC. Apart from Egypt and Crete to Hadra vases found also on Eretria, Attica, on Rhodes, Cilicia, Cyrene, Cyprus and today's Russia.

The hydriai that time were narrower than those of earlier times, as the shape, especially in the 6th and 5th centuries BC, was in use. The ornaments can recall the geometric pottery. Also the color scheme with dark varnish painting is reminiscent of geometric and archaic periods. Even the arrangement of the decoration is reminiscent of subgeometrische ostgriechischer ceramic workshops. It is likely that this vase form was introduced in Egypt in order to make burials Greek-style can. It is also possible that the potters and vase painters based on Greco- Egyptian models, in which the ancient Greek ornament tradition had received. Therefore, it was also possible that the vase shape could survive here, although it was abandoned in the Greek motherland now. The mainly Greek name of the deceased to back this up.