How was ancient Greek pottery made?
Ancient Greek pottery was both a functional and a decorative art. The few vases remaining today give us a peek at life 2,500 years ago. Remarkably, the methods the ancient Greeks used to shape their pottery are not that different from those still in use today.Time FrameThe earliest ancient Greek pottery came from what art historians call the Protogeometric and Geometric periods (1050–700 B.C.). The styles and techniques evolved through the fourth century B.C.ProductionAncient Greek pottery was thrown on a wheel, similar to handmade pottery today. Large pots were made in sections and then joined together with clay slip. The foot and handles were added last. They were then painted and fired in a kiln.TypesIn black-figure vases, the background was unpainted and figures were drawn on in a slip that turned black during firing. The reverse is true of red-figure vases.FunctionThere were dozens of shapes of pot, each with its own function. A krater was a large, deep pot used for mixing wine w
