Greek Vases and Pottery Provide Clues to Ancient Greek Culture

Withstanding time, Greek Pottery has been an important factor in the world's knowledge 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 every day life and the mythology of ancient Greece.

Starting with the Minoan civilization that arose on the island of Crete, the culture made remarkable contributions to Greek way of life; especially, in the artistry of pottery and vases. The Minoan potters created pottery for gathering food and storage. Functional necessity became an expression of emotion, with the potter often inspired by nature to influence the designs that transformed the piece creating art from what was once only a tool.

As time passed, Minoan's created vases in shapes that were used for specific purposes. For example, the Amphora vase is a swollen vase with a wide mouth and two opposing handles. It was used to carry and store liquids such as oil or wine. Decorated with grass and flowers, and ocean scenery and wildlife, 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 Geometric style followed with new motifs, building upon the latter with triangles, wavy lines and meanders. In the middle of the 11th Century, the first depictions of human figures were seen adorning the Greek vase, and by the end of the artistic era, mythological figures told their stories while decorating the pieces.

The Orientalizing Style came after trade-links with Asian Minor islands. The rise of human depictions settled during this time, and the artisan used the
Greek vases for depicting lions, griffins and sphinx with lotuses as accents.

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.

Following the black-figure method, the red-figure method was introduced in Athens. At its core, the process is exactly the opposite of the black-figure method. Depictions were applied to the Greek vases, but to unfired pieces after they were dried. The Athenians drew outlines on the pottery or vase with a blunt scrapper. It was removed during firing, 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.

Through the Corinthian creation, the Greek black-figure technique, artists used iron-enriched clay that became reddish-orange after firing. They then sketched the design in outline, and filled it in with clay. The Greek vases 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 piece would turn black. Finally, the kiln vents were opened to allow the oxygen to flow, and the pottery would turn back to the reddish-orange color, but the layer that was painted would keep it's black finish.