The exhibition shows more than 60 antique vases from the collection of the State Historical Museum, whose age is about 25 centuries. The exposition presents the history of the development of the art of ancient Greek vase painting from the middle of the II millennium BC to the III century BC.

The earliest vessels presented at the exhibition were made on the island of Cyprus. These are figured perfume vessels with geometric ornaments, as well as craterisks in the Mycenaean style (XV–XIII centuries BC). Visitors will get acquainted with the black-figure ceramics of Corinth and Athens, black-figure and red-figure vessels of Attic masters, products of Italian and Asian potters.

A series of red-figured pelica vases of the so-called “Kerch style” of the IV century BC is unique. The Athenian masters depicted Amazons, griffins and Arimasps on the pelica vases — mythological inhabitants of the Northern Black Sea region. The paintings on the vessels used in everyday life and religious ceremonies will allow us to trace the history of ancient Greece. Visitors will also see the products of the masters of Southern Italy of the IV century BC from the collection of the State Historical Museum.

Each of the antique vessels presented at the exhibition — amphorae, craters, pelicas, oinohoi, hydrisci, etc. — has its own form, purpose and role not only in everyday life, but also in various rituals and ceremonies.

The curators of the exhibition Denis Zhuravlev and Georgy Lomtadze are candidates of historical sciences, experts in the field of ancient archeology and history of the Northern Black Sea region and the Mediterranean, curators of the fund of ancient cities of the Northern Black Sea Region and Byzantine antiquities, leading excavations on the Taman Peninsula, authors of numerous books and scientific articles.