Greek Pottery and Vases: History of Ancient Greece Told in Clay
Posted: Saturday, September 26, 2009
by Rob Mabry
Your Museum Store
With it's durable nature, Greek Pottery has been critical in the world's understanding of the ancient Greek society. Mostly found in the Etruscan Tombs, Greek Vases and Greek Pottery are canvases that paint a portrait of the world of ancient Greece. While much of ancient Greek art is forever lost, Greek vases offers a glimpse into both the mythology and every day life of ancient Greece.
As time passed, Minoan 's created vases in shapes that were used for specialized purposes. For example, the Amphora vase is a swollen vase with a wide open mouth and two handles. It was used to carry and store liquids such as oil or wine. Decorated with grass and flowers, and life of the sea, the Minoan 's set precedent for future designs.
During the Protogeometrical Period, Greek vases were decorated with uncomplicated designs that consisted mainly of circular patterns. The emphasis on geometry followed with new patterns, building upon the latter with meanders, spiraled patterns and triangles. In the middle of the eleventh Century, the first images of human figures were seen painted on the Greek vase, and by the end of the period, mythological figures were central to the decorate elements of Greek pottery.
The Orientalizing Style came after trade-links with Syria and the Aegan World. The rise of human depictions slowed during this period, and the artisan used the Greek vases for depicting lions, griffins and sphinx with lotuses as accents.
Through the Corinthian creation, the Greek black-figure technique, artists used iron-enriched clay that turned reddish-orange at high temperatures. They then sketched the design as an outline, and filled it with clay. The Greek Pottery would be fired in a kiln at a temperature of around 800 degress Celsius. The pottery would turn a reddish-orange color. Next, the temperature was raised another 150 degrees, and the vase would turn black. Finally, the kiln vents were opened to let in oxygen, and the pottery would turn back to the reddish-orange color, but the paint layer remained black.
The Corinthian used these vases to show images of animal friezes. It was the Athenian painters who developed a narrative method, depicting battle scenes, mythology and legends.
Replacing the black-figure method, the red-figure method was developed in Athens. At its core, the process is the direct opposite of the black-figure method. Scenes were applied to the Greek vases, but to unfired pieces after they were dried. The Athenians carved images on the pottery or vase with a blunt tool. It was erased during the kiln process, but after the contours remained and were filled with a glossy clay slip.
The Greek methods for creating pottery resulted in Greek vases that not only inspire potters and artists, but left the world with a path to the past.
Looking for a Greek Vase to decorate your home? Check out the these Greek Vases from Your Museum Store.
Rob Mabry is a former military journalist living in San Antonio. He writes about travel, technology, film and history.
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