Amphora Meaning: Origin, Shapes and Use as a Planter

An amphora is a tall jar with a narrow neck and two handles. In antiquity it carried wine, olive oil and grain around the Mediterranean. Today you can use an amphora as a decorative planter, floor vase or eye-catching garden feature.

What exactly is an amphora?

The word comes from Greek and roughly means "carried on both sides". It refers to the two handles at the neck, which allowed two people to lift the jar. A classic amphora has an egg-shaped or elongated belly, a narrow neck and an opening that could be closed with a stopper or lid.

Such jars were made of fired clay. That material is porous: it breathes and lets moisture pass slowly. For storing oil and grain that worked well, and for plants it is a useful property too, as long as the pot has the right finish.

Where does the amphora come from and what was it used for?

Amphorae were made thousands of years ago, in Greece, Rome and the lands around the Mediterranean. They were the shipping containers of their time: filled with wine, olive oil, dried fish or grain, they travelled by boat. Many had a pointed base, so you could pack them tightly in a ship's hold or stand them in sand.

Alongside the everyday versions there were richly decorated ones, used as prizes, grave gifts or ornaments. For more background, see the article on the amphora on Wikipedia.

What shapes of amphora are there?

Not every amphora looks the same. If you are looking for one for your home or garden, these are the main types:

• Pointed amphora: a pointed base, meant to lean in sand or soil or rest in a stand.
• Amphora with a flat foot: stands on its own on a terrace, floor or driveway, which makes it the most practical as a pot.
• Round, bulging amphora: plenty of volume in the belly, suited to a large plant or a bunch of branches.
• Slim amphora: tall and narrow, at its best as a floor vase with pampas grass, branches or dried flowers.

As a planter you will almost always choose a model with a flat foot and a wide opening. A pointed base looks elegant, but without a stand it tips over.

Can you use an amphora as a plant pot?

Yes, provided the opening is wide enough for roots and potting soil and there is a drainage hole. A closed amphora without a hole is better used as a vase or an ornament. If you still want a plant in it, place an inner pot in the neck, as described in our article on a decorative pot without a hole and an inner pot.

Outdoors, frost matters. Terracotta and pottery are porous, and not all terracotta is frost resistant. If an amphora stays outside all year round, choose a frost resistant one with a drainage hole. You can read how that works in the article on frost resistant pots outdoors. The Dutch weather institute KNMI also publishes climate data on frost periods in the Netherlands, handy if you want to know how often it freezes where you live.

How big is an amphora and where do you put it?

Amphorae come in all sizes. A tabletop model of 30 to 40 cm fits on a sideboard or windowsill. A mid-sized amphora of 60 to 80 cm works well beside a front door or sofa. A large one of 100 cm or more is a real statement at an entrance or at the end of a path. The largest amphorae in our collection are about 120 cm tall.

When placing it, keep three things in mind:

• Stability: a round belly on a narrow foot can tip. Put it on a flat, hard surface and add some weight at the bottom.
• Weight: a large amphora filled with wet potting soil is heavy. Decide on the final spot before you fill it, as the article on moving a heavy plant pot explains.
• Proportion: an amphora can stand out, but it should suit the space. One large piece or two matching ones looks calmer than five different ones.

What is the difference between an amphora, a jug and a vase?

In everyday speech the terms blur. A jug is a general name for a round pot with a narrow neck. An amphora is a specific kind of jug with two handles and a classic, ancient shape. A vase is mainly meant for flowers and branches and is usually watertight inside. For how this plays out with a jug in the garden, read the article on a large jug in the garden.

You will find more on materials in our article on the difference between terracotta and ceramic.

How does a mosaic amphora suit your garden or interior?

An amphora with mosaic gets a character of its own. At Masr Potten & Vazen every piece is handmade: the tesserae, small hand-cut pieces of glass, are laid and grouted by hand. No two pieces are identical. Differences in colour and small irregularities are part of handwork, not a flaw. Our pieces are inspired by the Egyptian mosaic tradition: Masr is the Arabic word for Egypt.

The collection starts at around €135, with larger sizes on request or by quote. Take a look at the collection of amphorae, pots and vases to see what is possible. Looking for your own colour, model or size, or a company logo in the mosaic? That can be done as custom work. A custom piece takes six to ten weeks on average from approval to delivery, with progress photos along the way. You can request a no-obligation quote, and you receive a proposal within two working days. We deliver in the Netherlands and Belgium, right to the spot where the piece will stand.

How such a pot comes about is shown in the article on the craft behind a mosaic pot.