Marcus Chen
Ancient Greek pottery is one of the greatest survivors of archaeological artefacts, offering a fascinating insight into one of the earliest human civilizations. Over 100,000 painted vases have been recorded, and they have exerted a large influence on our understanding of Greek society. The Greeks used pottery vessels primarily to store, transport, and drink liquids such as wine and water, and smaller pots were used for perfumes. The decoration of these vessels was often intricate, and the paint was affixed to the clay using urine or vinegar, which burned away in the kiln, leaving the pigment bound to the pot. But did the Greeks paint their pottery before or after firing?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Pottery made on | Potter's wheel |
| Pottery made in | Separate horizontal sections: the foot, the lower and upper body, the neck, and the handles |
| Sections joined with | Clay 'slip' |
| Pottery shaped with | Simple tools |
| Paint | Ultra fine-grained clay slip |
| Paint applied to | Areas intended to become black after firing |
| Firing temperature | Around 960 °C |
| Number of times pottery was fired | Several times (in the same kiln) |
| Paint affixed to clay using | Urine or vinegar |
| Paint brushes | Used to add black pigment |
| Paint composition | Alkali potash or soda, clay with silicon, and black ferrous oxide of iron |
| Paint colour | Black |
| Vase colour | Orange/red |
| Vase material | Clay |
| Vase shape | Cups, plates, amphorae |
| Vase function | Holding wine, water, oil, perfumes |
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What You'll Learn
Potters and painters
The potter's primary role was to shape the clay on the wheel, forming the various sections of the vessel, such as the foot, lower and upper body, neck, and handles. They would then join these sections together using a clay 'slip' and return the piece to the wheel for final shaping and smoothing of join marks. Potters were also responsible for the initial firing process, which involved placing the pots in a kiln and firing them at specific temperatures to achieve the desired colour and finish.
Painters, on the other hand, specialised in decorating the pottery. They often worked in collective workshops, adding intricate designs and narrative scenes to the vases. The black gloss, so characteristic of Greek pottery, was achieved by painting the clay with an ultra-fine-grained clay slip. This slip, when fired, turned black and created a striking contrast against the red or orange clay background.
The partnership between potters and painters could lead to lasting collaborations, such as the one between the potter Ergotimos and the painter Kleitas. While most vases were unsigned, some artists signed their work, providing valuable insights into individual craftsmanship.
The techniques and styles of Greek pottery evolved over time, incorporating Eastern influences and advancing towards more naturalistic representations. The red-figure technique, invented in Athens around 525-520 BCE, revolutionised the representation of human figures, allowing for more expressive and lifelike depictions.
The durability of Greek pottery, due to the firing process, has ensured its survival through the millennia, providing a window into ancient Greek culture, beliefs, and artistic expression.
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Clay, pigment, and decoration
Clay
Clay was readily available throughout Greece, with Attic clay being the most popular type. It had a high iron content, resulting in an orange-red colour and a slight sheen when fired in a kiln. The clay was shaped on a potter's wheel, with most Greek vases being wheel-made. Potters also employed the coil method, where the walls of the pot were built up by coiling and smoothing clay. More complex pieces were made in parts and assembled when the clay was leather-hard.
Pigment
To create the distinctive black gloss with a metallic sheen, Greek craftsmen used liquid clay as paint, also known as "slip." This slip was made from an illitic clay with a very low calcium oxide content, and it was rich in iron oxides and hydroxides. The fine clay suspension used for the paint was produced by adding deflocculating additives like potash, urea, dregs of wine, or bone and seaweed ashes.
Decoration
The decoration on Greek pottery was diverse and included various styles and motifs. Geometric designs, such as horizontal lines (meanders), triangles, circles, and zigzags, were popular and instantly recognisable as ancient Greek. The Corinthian painters introduced a silhouette technique using black glaze with thin incisions for detail. Athenian pottery featured narrative scenes composed of black figures on a light inset background, with the surrounding vase surface in a deep black lustre. The red-figure technique, invented in Athens, offered a more naturalistic treatment of human figures, with red hues mimicking sun-bronzed skin. This period also saw the use of three-quarter frontal poses, foreshortening, and overlapping figures, marking the zenith of Greek pottery design.
The decoration on Greek pottery was not limited to visual elements. Inscriptions were also common, sometimes identifying mythological figures, beautiful men or women, or the painter or potter themselves. These inscriptions provide valuable information about ancient Greek society and culture.
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Firing processes
Greek pottery was invariably made on the potter's wheel and usually made in separate horizontal sections: the foot, the lower and upper body, the neck, and finally the handles, if necessary. After shaping the clay, the potter would paint the areas intended to become black after firing with an ultra-fine-grained clay slip. The clay slip was made by using several deflocculating additives to clay, such as potash, urea, dregs of wine, bone ashes, and seaweed ashes. The paint was affixed to the clay by using urine or vinegar, which burned away in the kiln, leaving the pigment bound to the pot.
Once the pot was painted, it was ready to be put in the kiln and fired at a temperature of around 960 °C. This temperature is relatively low, which explains the 'softness' of Greek pottery. Pots were fired several times in the same kiln to achieve the required finish and colouring. First, the pot was fired in an oxidising fire where good ventilation to the kiln ensured that the orange/red of the clay came to the fore. Then, the pot was re-fired in a kiln starved of oxygen (reduction process) by adding water or damp wood inside the kiln. This ensured that the painted colours, particularly the black, darkened in colour.
A third firing, again with good ventilation, re-reddened the clay of the pot while the painted areas, now protected by a thin wash, kept their original colouring. This complicated process required excellent timing from the potter so as not to spoil the vase with unseemly discolouring. To produce the characteristic red and black colours found on the vases, Greek craftsmen perfected a complicated three-stage firing process. The pots had to be stacked in the kiln in a specific manner, and the conditions inside had to be precise. First, the temperature was raised to about 800° centigrade, and vents allowed for an oxidizing environment. At this point, the entire vase turned red in colour. Next, by sealing the vents and increasing the temperature to around 900-950° centigrade, everything turned black, and the areas painted with the slip vitrified (transformed into a glassy substance).
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Eastern influence
Greek pottery was made on a potter's wheel and usually consisted of separate horizontal sections that were joined together with a clay 'slip'. The pottery was fired several times to achieve the required finish and colouring. After the final firing, the pottery was decorated and then put in a kiln and fired again at a temperature of around 960 °C. This relatively low firing temperature explains the 'softness' of Greek pottery.
During the Archaic Period (c. 8th–5th century BC), Greek pottery entered the Orientalizing Period, which was largely led by ancient Corinth. During this time, there was a growing Eastern influence on Greek pottery painters due to expanded Greek trading activities. The Orientalizing style was the product of cultural exchange in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean during the 8th and 7th centuries BC. Trade links with the city-states of Asia Minor brought Eastern artefacts to Greece, including ivories, pottery, and metalwork from the Neo-Hittite principalities of northern Syria and Phoenicia.
The Orientalizing style featured stylised plants (e.g. lotus, palm, and the tree of life), animal friezes (e.g. lions), and curved lines appropriated from Egyptian and Assyrian pottery. Corinthian painters also created a silhouette technique using figures painted in a black glaze and incised with thin lines to show detail. Monsters such as the sphinx, siren, griffin, gorgon, and chimera became popular motifs, as did animals such as the lion.
Athens followed the new trend, and it became widespread, with the Cyclades also producing pottery in this new freer style, often on very large vases with more spacious decoration. Athens became the dominant centre for Greek pottery from 600 BCE onwards, exporting its ware throughout the Mediterranean world. The black-figure pottery style, with its narrative scenes composed of black figures on a light inset background, became common in Athens during the 6th century BCE. This was followed by the development of red-figure pottery in Athens around 530–520 BCE, which featured reddish figures on a black background, allowing for a more naturalistic and aesthetically appealing treatment of human figures.
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Greek life and society
Greek pottery, with its beauty and intricate decoration, offers a glimpse into the life and society of ancient Greece. With over 100,000 painted vases recorded, it provides valuable insights into the customs and thoughts of the ancient Greeks. The durability of fired clay has ensured the preservation of these artefacts, making them a primary source of information about ancient Greek art and culture.
The process of creating Greek pottery began with shaping clay on a wheel. Potters then painted the pots with an ultra-fine-grained clay slip, which turned black after firing. This technique, known as the black-figure style, originated in Corinth around 700 BCE and featured Asian motifs and mythical creatures. Athenian artists later adopted this style, emphasising human figures and narratives. The red-figure technique, developed in Athens, offered a more naturalistic approach with red hues mimicking sun-bronzed skin.
Greek pottery also showcases the societal dynamics of ancient Greece. Women, for example, were excluded from civic life and government, and the "kore" statue symbolises the ideal Greek woman: a beautiful, fertile overseer of a prosperous household. Art and architecture were integral to Greek society, with influences from neighbouring Mediterranean and West Asian civilisations. Greek artists strived to infuse their pottery with mood, character, and narrative, reflecting the thoughts and beliefs of their society.
The wide variety of shapes and uses for Greek pottery is also noteworthy. Larger vessels like the krater and kylix were used for storing and drinking wine, while smaller pots like the lekythos contained perfumes and oils. Pottery was also used for religious purposes, with terracotta figurines initially serving religious functions before becoming purely decorative. The importance of Greek pottery extended beyond Greece, with regions like Attica exporting their pottery throughout the Mediterranean.
The study of Greek pottery has evolved over time, with Otto Jahn's 1854 catalogue setting a standard for the scientific description of shapes and inscriptions. The excavation of the Acropolis in 1885 provided a more accurate chronology, aiding in the dating of archaeological strata. Greek pottery continues to captivate scholars and provide a window into the ancient Greek world, its artistic achievements, and its societal dynamics.
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Frequently asked questions
The Greeks painted their pottery before firing it in a kiln at around 960 °C.
The kiln temperature for firing Greek pottery was around 960 °C.
Firing Greek pottery at a specific temperature, such as 960 °C, ensured that the paint adhered to the clay and produced the desired colours and finish.
No, the Greeks fired their pottery multiple times to achieve the desired colours and finish.
The Greeks used brushes to apply black pigment made from a mixture of alkali potash or soda, clay with silicon, and black ferrous oxide of iron. Urine or vinegar was used as a binding agent, burning away in the kiln and leaving the pigment attached to the pot.
