Classical Greek Antiquities
CLASSICAL GREEK STYLE
There is rare surviving furniture from ancient Greece, yet this classical style has informed design for centuries. Interiors of houses in antiquity were minimal, with much of a room’s color coming from frescoes on the walls and mosaics on the floors. Classical Greek furniture was sparing but finely crafted and influenced by Egyptian furniture design through Mediterranean trade.
Furnishings of the period were usually made from local wood like cypress, cedar, oak and willow from ancient Greece’s plentiful forests, although some pieces were carved from marble, such as a 300–200 B.C. throne with lion legs and a curved back now at the Getty Villa. Comfort and clean lines characterized designs during the Classical era, the symmetry and thoughtful proportions reflecting the architecture of Greek temples.
Some pieces of ancient Greek furniture were simple, rectangular platforms like the klinē, a multipurpose ancestor of today’s couches or daybeds that held cushions stuffed with wool, dry grass or down. These structures were used for both sleeping and dining, which wealthy Greeks did while reclining. At night, oil lamps illuminated rooms that frequently surrounded a garden courtyard.
Most of what scholars have learned about Greek furniture design owes to its representations in art like vases and stelae. The portable diphros stool, with its backless design and four turned legs, was one of the more common types of seating in daily Greek life — it appears as such for the gods on the Parthenon frieze. Stools without backs have been found in early Roman tombs, while benches were also common Greek seating furniture created for use in theaters. In houses of the Hellenistic period, benches seemingly functioned as tables, too.
Some designs evolved through adaptations by the Romans, including the klismos chair. After prominent archaeological excavations at Pompeii and Herculaneum, the klismos chair — with its four saber legs and the elegant curves that define its back — was a source of inspiration for aesthetics in eras ranging from 18th-century neoclassicism to 20th-century Art Deco.
Find a collection of Classical Greek decorative objects, wall decorations and building and garden elements on 1stDibs.
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Style: Classical Greek
Ancient Greek Terracotta Antefix in Form of the Head of Artemis Bendis, Taranto
Located in Antwerp, BE
Ancient Greek mould-made terracotta antefix decorated with the female head of the Goddess Artemis Bendis.
Western Greek, Italy, Taranto, early 4th century BC.
Two small feathered win...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Classical Greek Antiquities
Materials
Ceramic
Ancient Greek Red-Figure Terracotta Pelike (Jar), 5th–4th Century BCE
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Presenting an exquisite ancient Greek red-figure terracotta pelike (storage jar) standing 10.5 inches tall. This piece embodies the timeless artistry of Classical Greece, featuring h...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Greek Antique Classical Greek Antiquities
Materials
Terracotta
AR Tetradrachm Thrace, Lampsakos, Lysimachos 305-281 BC
Located in UTRECHT, UT
Obverse: diademed head of the deified Alexander right, with horn of Ammon
Reverse: BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ΛYΣIMAXOY, Athena Nikephoros seated left, arm resting on shield, monogram to inner left
...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Greek Antique Classical Greek Antiquities
Materials
Silver
AR Tetradrachm Macedonia, Side, Alexander the Great, 325-320 BC
Located in UTRECHT, UT
Obverse: head of Herakles right wearing lion skin headdress
Reverse: enthroned Zeus left, eagle on outstretched right hand, scepter in left hand
FINE STYLE
Late lifetime or early...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Greek Antique Classical Greek Antiquities
Materials
Silver
AR Tetradrachm Attica, Athens, 440-420 BC
Located in UTRECHT, UT
Obverse: head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and spiral palmette
Reverse: owl standing right with h...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Greek Antique Classical Greek Antiquities
Materials
Silver
AR Stater Lucania, Metapontum
Located in UTRECHT, UT
Obverse: ΜΕΤ, corn ear with eight grains
Reverse: corn ear with eight grains, all incuse
Weight: 7.77 g
Grade: Good very fine
Mint: Metapontum
Reference: HN Italy 1459; HGC 1, 1027
Category
15th Century and Earlier Greek Antique Classical Greek Antiquities
Materials
Silver
AR Didrachm Sicily, Akragas, 480-470 BC
Located in UTRECHT, UT
Obverse: AKRA / ΓA in retrograde, eagle right
Reverse: crab
Weight: 8.93 g
Grade: About extremely fine
Mint: Akragas
Reference: Hoover 99
Year: 480-470 BC
Category
15th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Classical Greek Antiquities
Materials
Silver
AR Stater Lucania, Metapontum
Located in UTRECHT, UT
Obverse: head of Demeter left, wearing barley wreath
Reverse: ΜΕΤA, ear of barley, pitchfork above leaf in left field
Weight: 7.84 g
Grade: About extremely fine
Reference: SNG ANS 4...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Greek Antique Classical Greek Antiquities
Materials
Silver
Greek gold pendant with siren figurine, Hellenistic
Located in UTRECHT, UT
A gold pendant in the shape of a siren with a human head, hair parted and falling onto back, human upper body, wings on back, standing on drum-shaped pedestal, decorated with granule...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Greek Antique Classical Greek Antiquities
Materials
Gold
AR Drachm Bagadat, kingdom of Persis, Persepolis
Located in UTRECHT, UT
Obverse: head right, with mustache and earring, wearing diadem and kyrbasia
Reverse: fire temple of Ahura-Mazda, above, half-figure of Ahura-Mazda, to inner left, Baydād (Bagadat) st...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Greek Antique Classical Greek Antiquities
Materials
Silver
AR drachm Mithradates I, Hekatompylos
Located in UTRECHT, UT
Obverse: head left in bashlyk
Reverse: archer seated right on omphalos, three line legend, H
Not known to Sellwood, unpublished coin of Hekatompylos mint
Weight: 3.95 g
Grade: Abou...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Greek Antique Classical Greek Antiquities
Materials
Silver
The Riace Warriors, A Fine Pair of Cold-Cast Copper and Resin Replica Figures
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Riace Warriors, a fine pair of cold cast copper and resin figures of the Riace Warriors, reduced replicas of the original bronze sculptures currentl...
Category
Late 20th Century Unknown Classical Greek Antiquities
Materials
Copper
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Previously Available Items
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Classical Greek antiquities for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Classical Greek antiquities for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Late 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage antiquities created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include folk art, decorative objects and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic, terracotta and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Classical Greek antiquities made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and Unknown pieces for sale on 1stDibs. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for antiquities differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $541 and tops out at $65,000 while the average work can sell for $4,628.