🏺 Amphora

🏺

🏺 Meaning and usage

The primary meaning of the emoji is a vase or amphora . But in digital communication, it's used in very specific contexts:

🏺 Antiquity, history, art: This is the most direct and common meaning. The emoji symbolizes Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, archeology, museums, and classical art.

Example: "Tomorrow's an Ancient Greek history exam. I'm sitting here studying the types of amphorae 🏺"
Example: "I was at the Hermitage and saw a stunning collection of Greek ceramics 🏺"

🏺 Achievement, prize, award: In Ancient Greece, amphorae were often awarded to winners of athletic competitions (such as the Panathenaic Games) as cups or trophies filled with olive oil. Therefore, 🏺 can mean "victory," "reward," or "triumph."

Example: "Our team won the championship! Let's take our trophy 🏺"

🏺 Storage vessel: In a broader sense, it is simply a vessel for storing liquids (wine, oil, water) or bulk products.

Example: "I bought some olive oil at the market, right in this clay pot 🏺"

🏺 Death and the afterlife: In some cultures, vessels of this shape were used in funeral rites or to store the ashes of the deceased. Therefore, in a very specific context, it can also carry this connotation.

🏺 Astrology: The 🏺 emoji is sometimes used to symbolize the zodiac sign Aquarius , which is traditionally depicted as a person pouring water from a pitcher. However, the ♒ emoji is more commonly used for this symbol.

How emoji 🏺 came to be

Japanese origin: Like all early emoji, it was created in Japan. Japan has a rich ceramic culture, and such vessels are also part of its historical heritage and museum exhibits.
Unicode: The Amphora emoji was officially approved and added to the Unicode 4.1 standard back in 2005. It is one of the oldest emoji.
Design: The emoji design is inspired by the classic two-handled ancient Greek amphora with a narrow neck and a pointed bottom (which allowed it to be stored safely in sand or on a special stand). On most platforms (Apple, Google, Samsung), it is displayed as a terracotta vessel, a direct reference to clay pottery.

Interesting facts about 🏺

Symbol of knowledge and wisdom: Since amphoras were the main "information carriers" in the ancient world (scenes from mythology and everyday life were painted on them), 🏺 can symbolize knowledge, history, and culture.
Not to be confused with a jug: Despite the superficial resemblance, this is an amphora —a historical artifact. A household jug with a handle is more often referred to by the 🫖 emoji (teapot) or simply described in words.
Popularity in niches: This emoji is extremely popular among historians, archaeologists, art historians, and humanities students. It serves as a distinctive symbol for them.
The "This is Sparta!" emoji meme: Thanks to the film "300" and numerous memes, the 🏺 has become an integral part of ironic images and phrases related to Ancient Sparta and Greece in general.

Example meme caption: "When someone touches your lunch" + picture of Leonid kicking a 🏺 into a well.

🏺 is the intellectual emoji. It's rarely used in everyday conversation, but it's a powerful and recognizable symbol for anything related to antiquity, history, art, and high achievement. It's one of the most stylistically and culturally charged symbols in your emoji keyboard.