February 14, 2010

Thanks to its durable materials, Greek Pottery has been an important factor in the world’s comprehension of the ancient Greek culture. 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.

Starting with the Minoan civilization that arose on the island of Crete, the culture made remarkable contributions to Greek societ; especially, in the creation of pottery and vases. The Minoan potters designed pottery for food gathering and storage. A practical need became a vehicle for articistic expression, with the potter looking to nature to  influence the designs that transformed the piece creating art from what was once only a tool.

As time progressed, Minoan’s created vases in forms that were used for specialized purposes. For example, the Amphora vase is a wide-bodied vase with a wide mouth and two opposing handles. It was used to transport and store oil, wine and other liquids. Painted with grass and flowers, and marine scenes, the Minoan’s set precedent for future designs.

During the Protogeometrical Period, Greek vases were adorned with simplistic designs that consisted mainly of patterns of of circles. The emphasis on geometry followed with new concepts, building upon the latter with wavy lines and triangles. Sometime around the 11th Century, the first depictions of human figures were seen painted on the Greek vase, and by the end of the artistic era, mythological figures told their stories while decorating the pieces.

The Orientalizing Period 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 became reddish-orange at high temperatures. They then sketched the design in outline, and filled it in with clay. The Greek Pottery would be kiln fired at a temperature of nearly 800 degrees Celsius. After oxidation, 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 allow the oxygen to flow, and the pottery would return to the reddish-orange color, but the layer that was painted would keep it’s black finish.

The Corinthian used these vases to depict animal friezes.  It was the Athenian painters who introduced a narrative method, depicting mythological scenes of battle, gods and heroes.

Replacing the black-figure method, the red-figure method was introduced in Athens. Simply, the process is exactly the 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 mixture.

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.