Pelike' is a conventional name for a type of amphora that has a wide mouth and the maximum width low down on the body, producing
a pear-shaped outline.
The Triptolemos Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter (and perhaps potter) active ca. 480-470 BCE. The name derives from
a stamnos found at Vulci (Paris, Louvre G187; BAPD 203793) showing Triptolemos, Demeter, and Persephone on one side. Shapes
are kraters, the stamnos, amphora, oinochoe, pelike, hydria, alabastron, skyphos, and cup (kylix). Subjects include athletes,
warriors, revelers (“komasts”), the symposion, erotic scenes, religion, Dionysos and followers, musicians, Herakles, and Theseus.
Some findspots are Adria, Etruria (Cerveteri, Orvieto, Tarquinia, Vulci), sites in southern Italy and Sicily, Athens (Agora,
Acropolis), Rheneia (Delos), and Berezan.
Lekanis lids from the 6th through early 5th c. were convex and created an almost circular appearance with the lekanis itself.
For the rest of the 5th and into the 4th c., the lid became flatter, answering the parallel development of the bowl. The lid
generally has a central stem or knob for a handle.
The stemmed plate is a plate or shallow dish attached to a stem. The stem can be low or high and spreads to the foot; the
floor slopes to the center where there is sometimes a small depression. The shape of the foot and the similar decorations
suggest that many of the stemmed plates came from one shop over a short period of time between the late 6th c. to early 5th
c. BCE.
The klepsydra, or water clock, was used to enforce time limits on speeches in Athenian law courts. The pots were filled to
a specific level, and as the water drained from a hole near the bottom, marked off the time limit. Approaching the end of
the limit, the stream would have diminished perceptibly as the pressure lessened and would have been apparent not only to
the orator but to its listeners.
Pheidippos is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 525-515 BCE who mainly painted bilingual cups (black-figure interior,
red-figure exterior). The name is inscribed as painter (“egrapsen”) on an eye-cup from Vulci (London, British Museum E6; BAPD
200378) showing athletes. The painter collaborated with the potter Hischylos (see Hischylos Painter [Red-figure]). Other subjects
are warriors, riders, Dionysos, and revelers (“komasts”). The only known findspot is Vulci.
Skythes is an Athenian red-figure cup painter active ca. 520-505 BCE who painted bilingual cups (black-figure with coral red
exterior, red-figure interior). The name Skythes (“the Scythian”) is inscribed as painter (“egrapsen”) on several vases. Subjects
include Herakles, Theseus, athletes, revelers (“komasts”), Dionysos and followers, and warriors. Findspots are Athens (Acropolis,
Agora), Boeotia, Aegina, and sites in Etruria (Vulci, Cerveteri, Chiusi, Gravisca).
The Leningrad Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 470-450 BCE and a member of the Mannerist Group. The name
derives from an amphora (Type B) discovered in south Russia (St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum B2228; BAPD 206561) showing
a musician (kitharode) with listeners. Shapes are kraters, the pelike, the amphora in different forms, and hydria. Scenes
include Dionysos and followers, worship of Dionysos, a satyr-play, the symposion, revelers (“komasts”), musicians, athletes,
warriors, Herakles, centaurs, and Helios. A rare scene of vases being decorated is shown on a hydria from Ruvo (Vicenza, Banca
Intesa 2; BAPD 206564). Some findspots are Bologna, Etruria (Vulci, Cerveteri), sites in southern Italy and Sicily, Corinth,
the Athenian Agora, Rheneia (Delos), Camiros (Rhodes), Al Mina, Aspendos (Turkey), and Naukratis.
Antidoros in an Athenian black-figure potter of Little Master cups active beginning in the mid-6th c. BCE. The name derives
from vases signed as potter ("epoiesen") by Antidoros. Andidoros may have worked with more than one painter. Subjects include
Pygmies and cranes, hunting, and chariots. Examples have been found in Taranto.
A small, footed container with a flat top and a spout at its side, the feeder was used for providing drinks to small children
or invailds. It is also known as a bombylios.
The Painter of Munich 2413 is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 460 BCE. The name derives from a stamnos found at
Vulci (Munich, Staatliche Antikensammlungen 2413; BAPD 205571) showing the Birth of Erichthonios. An oinochoe from the Athenian
Agora (P11810; BAPD 205573) shows actors dressing.
The Timiades Painter is an Athenian black-figure painter of the Tyrrhenian Group active ca. 565-550 BCE and prolific painter
of the ovoid neck amphora. The name derives from an amphora discovered in Vulci (Boston 98.916; BAPD 310045) showing a Greek
warrior, whose name is inscribed “Timiades,” fighting Amazons. Scenes include male revelers ("komasts"), satyrs, erotic scenes,
Trojan War, and Herakles/Amazons. Findspots include Etruria, Clazomenae, and Tharros (Sardinia).
The Ambrosios Painter is an Athenian red-figure cup painter active ca. 510-500 BCE. The name derives from the appellation
“Ambrosios'' inscribed on the interior of a cup (Orvieto, Museo Civico, Faina 62; BAPD 201580) showing warriors and athletes
on the exterior and a reveler (“komast”) on the interior. Subjects include Dionysos and followers, Nessos and Deianira, the
symposion, Herakles, athletes, fishing, and hunting. Findspots include sites in Etruria (Orvieto, Cerveteri, Vulci, Gravisca),
Athens (Acropolis, Agora), and Naukratis.
The Tampa Museum of Art is located in downtown Tampa, Florida. It exhibits modern and contemporary art, as well as Greek,
Roman, and Etruscan antiquities.
Stamped describes the technique of using a mold-made terracotta stamp for decoration. Designs are stamped or impressed (see
Impressed) into the soft clay surface of the vessel before it is painted. In Athens, stamped or impressed decoration first
appears around the middle of the 5th c. BCE, perhaps in the work of the Sotades Painter (see Sotades Painter). The ornament
generally consists of small and simple motifs, such as rosettes, concentric circles, palmettes, ovules, and tongues. Stamped
decoration usually appears on the interiors of drinking vessels, some of which have red-figure on their exteriors.
The Gela Painter is an Athenian black-figure painter active during the late 6th and early 5th c. BCE, who sometimes applies
black-figure to white-ground. The name derives from vases discovered at Gela in southern Sicily. Shapes are the lekythos,
olpe, and oinochoe. Scenes are Dionysian, Herakles, the symposion, warriors, and athletes. Many vases have been discovered
in the western Greek colonies.
The Class of Athens 581 denotes a group of Athenian black-figure painters active in the early 5th c. BCE, who sometimes apply
black-figure to white-ground. The name derives from a lekythos (Athens, National Museum 581; BAPD 303599) showing a symposion
with Dionysos reclining. The main shape is the lekythos with palmettes, buds, or rays on the shoulder. Connected to the class
are the Marathon Painter, Campana Painter, Haimon Painter, the Kalinderu Group, Cock Group, and Group of Brussels A 1311.
Findspots include Athens, Perachora, Rhodes, southern Italy, Sicily, and Cyprus.
The Dikaios Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter and part of the Pioneer Group active in the late 6th c. BCE. A few Athenian
black-figure vases have also been attributed to this painter. The name derives from the inscription “Dikaios kalos” (“Dikaios
is beautiful”) on an amphora decorated with youths and warriors (Paris, Louvre G45; BAPD 200167). Shapes are the hydria, amphora,
and krater. Other scenes include the Struggle for the Delphic Tripod, erotic scenes, and dance. Findspots are Etruria (Vulci,
Orvieto, Tarquinia, Bologna), the Athenian Acropolis, Xanthos (Turkey), and Agrigento.
The Sosias Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter and part of the Pioneer Group active ca. 510-500 BCE. The name derives
from the potter ("epoiesen") who signs as Sosias on a cup from Vulci (Berlin, Antikensammlung F2278; BAPD 200108) showing
Achilles and Patroklos on the interior and the introduction of Herakles to Olympus on the exterior. Shapes are stands, plates,
and cups. Other scenes include a winged female and a satyr. Another findspot is the Athenian Acropolis.
The Type C cup has a rather shallow bowl and a plain or offset lip. The cup can be stemmed or stemless. The stem, when present,
is very short with a fillet at its base, and the foot is a thick torus. In the stemless versions, there is simply a fillet
between bowl and foot.
The Leagros Group is a group of black-figure painters active ca. 520-500 BCE. The name derives from the inscription “Leagros
kalos” (“Leagros is beautiful”) on several vases. Painters identified with the group include the Acheloos Painter, Chiusi
Painter, and Daybreak Painter. Also associated are the Antiope Group, Group of Würzburg 210, and Group of Vatican 424. Several
hundred vessels are attributed to the group, including shapes like the neck amphora, hydria, lekythos, krater, and Panathenaic
amphora. Favorite scenes of the group are Herakles and the Trojan War, as well as Dionysian themes. Findspots are Vulci and
other Etruscan sites, southern Italy and Sicily, and the Athenian Agora.
Related to the Little Master cups, Kassel cups have a rather flat, band-cup shape and are generally small. Both the lip and
body are usually covered with simple patterned bands. Tongues are common at the lip, as are rays above the foot, and some
Kassel cups have silhouette figures in the handle zone.
The Dokimasia Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 480-460 BCE. The name derives from a cup found at Orvieto
(Berlin, Antikensammlung 2296; BAPD 204483) showing youths with horses in possible reference to their citizen status (“dokimasia”).
Shapes are mainly the cup, but also the krater, stamnos, and skyphos. Scenes include revelers (“komasts”), athletes, warriors,
Theseus, hunting, and Dionysos and followers. Some findspots are Adria, Etruria (Vulci, Orvieto, Cerveteri, Tarquinia, Chiusi),
Capua, the Athenian Acropolis, and Delos.
The calyx-krater is one of the largest Attic vases, and is reminiscent of a bell-shaped flower. It is named for its convex
lower body that has the configuration of the calyx of a flower, while the flaring upper body is suggestive of the bell-shaped
corolla. It has large, robust, upturned handles situated opposite one another on the cul.The calyx-krater appears in Attic
black-figure after the middle of the 6th c. BCE and is a popular shape until the end of red-figure.
The Heidelberg Painter is an Athenian black-figure painter active ca. 560-540 BCE. The name derives from a cup found near
Phaleron (Heidelberg, University vi.29; BAPD 300545) showing gods. The main shape is the Siana cup. Subjects include warriors,
youths, the symposion, athletes, Herakles, and mythological scenes. Findspots include Thasos (Artemision), Sicily, Miletus,
Taranto, Berezan, and Corinth.
The Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is an encyclopedic art museum located at Newfields, a 152-acre campus near downtown Indianapolis.
The Indianapolis Museum of Art is the ninth oldest and eighth largest encyclopedic art museum in the United States. The permanent
collection comprises over 54,000 works, including African, American, Asian, and European pieces.
The British Museum is a museum in London dedicated to human history and culture. Its permanent collection, numbering some
8 million works, is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence and originates from all continents, illustrating
and documenting the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present.
Primarily a red-figure shape, the Type B cup comes in shortly after the invention of the technique and was never popular in
black-figure. The bowl of the cup passes directly into the stem without interruption, the shape of the foot is a torus, and
there is usually a small chamfer on its top surface near the edge.
The Diosphos Painter is an Athenian black-figure painter active in the first half of the 5th c. BCE. The name derives from
the inscription “kalos Diosphos” (“Diosphos is beautiful”) on a small neck amphora (Paris, Cabinet des Médailles 219; BAPD
305526) showing the Birth of Dionysos. The Diosphos Painter also worked in white-ground and Six’s technique. Mainly a lekythos
painter, other shapes are the neck amphora, alabastron, kyathos, and epinetron. Scenes include representations of myths (Amazons,
Herakles, Memnon), chariots, warriors, and Dionysos. Findspots are Athens (Acropolis, Kerameikos, Agora), Corinth, Perachora,
sites in Italy and Sicily, and Rhodes.
From the verb 'to pour,' the chous is a broad-bodied jug with a low handle and trefoil mouth. It was used in the Anthesteria
festival and as a measure fixed for participants in drinking bouts (3.28 liters). Small choes were used for children's day,
when 3-year-olds received them.
The Pharos Painter is an Athenian black-figure painter active ca. 540-520 BCE. The name derives from vases with scenes of
two women sharing a cloak (“pharos”). Frequently painting the lekythos, compositions consist of a central panel on the body
of the vase. Findspots include Locri (south Italy), Rhodes, and the Athenian Kerameikos.
Klitomenes is an Athenian black-figure potter of Little Master cups active in the mid-6th c. BCE. The signature of potter
(“epoiesen”) appears on a skyphos found at Sardis (Princeton, University Art Museum 29.180; BAPD 310585), showing a swan in
the tondo.
The plate is not a common shape in clay since it was more likely to have been made of wood. Figured plates (more commonly
black-figure) seem to have been made for religious dedications.
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον métallon, "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured,
shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well.
Nearchos is an Athenian black-figure painter active ca. 570-555 BCE who signed as both potter (“epoiesen”) and painter (“egrapsen”).
Painting in a miniature style, the artist decorated the kantharos, Little Master cup, plaque (pinax), column krater, and aryballos.
Subjects include Herakles, Trojan War, Gigantomachy, Pygmies versus cranes, and Amazons. Findspots include the Athenian Acropolis,
Etruria (Cerveteri, Vulci, Vetulonia), Naukratis, Berezan, and Samos (Heraion).
Plemochoё' means 'full-pouring,’ and the shape is a low-lidded bowl with a wide shoulder and high foot. It is thought to have
held scented water for personal use, for religious ceremonies, and for the grave. Authorities do not fully agree on the name
of this vase and it is also called ‘exaleiptron’ and (incorrectly) ‘kothon.’ There is a tendency to use the name ‘exaleiptron’
for the stemless version of the vase, in particular for the Corinthian examples, and ‘plemochoё’ for the Athenian high-footed
shape, which is also frequently provided with a lid.
A variation of the Little Master cup where the lip is more obviously offset than on a band-cup; the most obvious distinction
is in the scheme of decoration.
Epiktetos is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 520-490 BCE who painted bilingual cups (black-figure interior, red-figure
exterior). The name is inscribed on vases as both potter (“epoiesen”) and painter (“egrapsen”). The painter is thought to
have decorated vases for the potters Hischylos, Python, Pistoxenos, and the Nikosthenes-Pamphaios workshop. Other shapes are
plates, kraters, the askos, oinochoe, and pelike. Scenes include satyrs, centaurs, Herakles and Busiris, the symposion, erotic
scenes, athletes, and male revelers (“komasts”). Some findspots are Athens (Acropolis, Agora), Etruscan sites (Vulci, Gravisca,
Cerveteri, Adria), and a shipwreck off the coast of Gela (Sicily).
The Thalia Painter is an Athenian red-figure cup painter active ca. 520-500 BCE that painted a bilingual cup (black-figure
interior, red-figure exterior). The name derives from the appellation “Thalia” inscribed on a cup from Vulci (Berlin, Antikensammlung
3251; Florence, Archaeological Museum, 1B49; BAPD 200964) showing an erotic scene. Other subjects include Dionysos and followers,
athletes, warriors, and revelers (“komasts”). Findspots are Chiusi and the Athenian Acropolis.
The Edinburgh Painter is an Athenian black-figure painter active ca. 500 BCE, who sometimes applies white-ground to black-figure.
The name derives from a lekythos (Edinburgh, Royal Scottish Museum L224.379; BAPD 380848) showing the Ransom of Hector. The
painter has been connected to the Leagros Group and the Dot-Band Class. The lekythos is the main shape, as well as the amphora
and small hydria. Scenes include myths, chariots, warriors, Herakles, Athena, and Dionysos. Findspots are Gela and other sites
in Sicily, Athens (Kerameikos, Agora, Acropolis), Etruria and southern Italy, Cyrene, and Xanthos (Turkey).
The Attic version was made to be filled with imported perfume, the foreign shape providing a recognizable identification of
the contents. From the early Hellenistic period onwards, when the developed fusiform unguentarium had become the usual export
container for perfume, the small Attic black equivalent would have been superfluous.
The shape, derived from eastern prototypes, is often found in metal. It is a flat, handleless libation bowl, sometimes with
an offset rim. In the centre of the floor is a raised navel (omphalos) which enables the finger to be inserted beneath when
tipping the bowl.
The pyxis lid varies widely depending on the shape of the pyxis itself. Lids can be flat, concave, domed, or conical and rest
on top of the pyxis or can be deep-sided and slip over the sides of the box. The handles are often knobs or metal rings.
The Amasis Painter is an Athenian black-figure painter active ca. 560-515 BCE. The name derives from the potter ("epoiesen")
who signs as Amasis. Scholars debate if the painter and potter are one in the same. The painter sometimes combines the full
black-figure technique with outline and at times employs a minituristic style. Shapes include different amphora types, lekythos,
oinochoe, and alabastron. Subjects are Dionysos and his followers, other gods, draped figures, warriors, and revelers ("komasts").
Main findspots are Vulci and other sites in Etruria, Athens (Acropolis, Agora, Kerameikos), and Naukratis.
Lekythos' is a general word used to denote an oil bottle. The term is now conventionally used for tall and squat shapes with
a foot, a single vertical handle, a narrow neck and a small mouth. Sometimes the basic form is fashioned into fancy shapes
such as an acorn or an almond, or into a human figure. Some carry appliqué designs.
The Hermaios Painter is an Athenian red-figure cup painter active ca. 520-510 BCE, formerly said to be related to the Severeano
Group. The name derives from the potter (“epoiesen”) who signs as Hermaios on several examples. Subjects appearing on the
cup interior include Dionysos, revelers (“komasts”), the symposion, athletes, warriors, riders, and Amazons. Findspots are
Athens (Agora, unspecified sites), Marion (Cyprus), Etruria (Vulci, Chiusi, Cerveteri), and Naukratis.
Covered cups are kylikes that are a type of 'trick vase,' that is, they have fixed lids and contain elaborate internal elements
designed to deceive or amuse an unwary user. Covered cups were produced in Athens for roughly a century beginning around 540
BCE.
The stand is much smaller in size than other supports intended to serve as bases for vases. The stand has a wide, flat surface
on top that is often decorated with black- or red-figure. The wide top rests on a stemmed foot, usually with a fillet on the
stem.
The Daybreak Painter is an Athenian black-figure painter associated with the Leagros Group, active ca. 520 to 500 BCE. The
name derives from a lekythos from Eretria (Athens, National Museum 513; BAPD 302371) showing Helios rising from the sea. Shapes
are the lekythos, oinochoe, olpe, and hydria. Other scenes include Odysseus and Circe, Herakles, warriors, the symposion,
and Dionysos. Findspots are Rhodes, Etruria, southern Italy, and Sicily.
The Class of the Vatican G47 denotes a group of Athenian black-figure painters active late 6th to early 5th c. BCE who decorate
oinochoe. The name derives from an oinochoe found at Vulci (Rome, Vatican G47; BAPD 303297) showing a maenad riding a bull.
Attributed to the class are the Painter of Oxford 226 and Painter of Oxford 225. Scenes include chariots, Dionysos and followers,
warriors, Achilles and Ajax, and Herakles. Findspots are Vulci, Knossos, Amathus (Cyprus), and Corinth.
The beaked oinochoe is an oinochoe with a trefoil mouth, narrow neck and a body that consists of a little more than a broad
shoulder. In Early Protocorinthian, the neck becomes taller and the contour of the body is straightened until it approaches
a more or less shallow cone; this shape remains popular in Corinthian pottery until the early 6th c. BCE.
Alabaster is a mineral or rock that is soft, often used for carving, and is processed for plaster powder. Archaeologists and
the stone processing industry use the word differently from geologists. The former use is in a wider sense that includes varieties
of two different minerals: the fine-grained massive type of gypsum and the fine-grained banded type of calcite.
The Rycroft Painter is an Athenian black-figure painter active in the last quarter of the 6th c. BCE. The name derives from
an amphora (Type A) discovered in Vulci, formerly in the Rycroft collection (Oxford, Ashmolean Museum 1965.118; BAPD 301824),
showing Leto on one side and Apollo and Artemis on the other. The painter is thought to be related to the Priam Painter and
to Psiax. Shapes include the amphora in different forms, kraters, and the hydria. Scenes are of chariots, Herakles, Dionysos,
and the Ransom of Hector. Findspots are sites in Etruria, Sicily, Athens (Agora, Acropolis), and Cyrene.
Sophilos is an Athenian black-figure painter active ca. 580-570 BCE, who signs vases as both painter (“egrapsen”) and potter
(“epoiesen”). The name derives from a signed dinos (London, British Museum 1971.1101.1; BAPD 350099) showing the Marriage
of Peleus and Thetis. Shapes include the dinos (or lebes), column krater, lekanis, and amphora. Other subjects include the
Kalydonian Boar Hunt, Funeral Games of Patroklos, Helen and Menelaus, Herakles, and centaurs. Findspots include Athens (Acropolis,
Agora, Kerameikos), Aegina, Naukratis, Smyrna, Sardis, and Sicily.
The Marathon Painter is an Athenian black-figure painter connected with the Class of Athens 581 and active in the early 5th
c. BCE. A lekythos painter, the name derives from vessels deposited with the Athenian dead after the Battle of Marathon. Scenes
are chariots, Dionysos, Herakles, and Athena. Findspots other than Marathon are Sicily, Thebes, Olympia, Rhodes, and southern
Italy.
The Castellani Painter is an Athenian black-figure painter of the Tyrrhenian Group active ca. 560-550/45 BCE. The name derives
from an amphora formerly in the Castellani collection (Rome, Villa Giulia 50652; BAPD 310041) showing Amazons on one side
and centaurs on the other. The primary shape is the ovoid neck amphora. Vases portray the symposion, Herakles/Amazons, weddings,
male revelers ("komasts"), satyrs and maenads, erotic scences, and fights. Findspots include sites in Etruria (Cerveteri,
Vulci, Tarquinia).
The pointed aryballos follows the Middle Protocorinthian ovoid aryballos. In form it is taller and more top-heavy than its
precursor, and it first appears in Late Protocorinthian before being replaced by a new, rounded aryballos.
The Kiss Painter is an Athenian red-figure cup painter active ca. 510-500 BCE. The name derives from scenes of a youth and
girl embracing. Other subjects are athletes and revelers (“komasts”). Findspots are sites in Etruria (Chiusi, Arezzo).
The handles of the bail amphora reach over the mouth. This type of amphora was used for storing and carrying wine, oil, and
other commoditities, for serving wine at the table, and as an ash urn for the dead.
The Brygos Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 490-470 BCE who painted in white-ground. The name derives
from the potter ("epoiesen") who signs as Brygos and collaborated with the Brygos Painter and other painters. Shapes are the
cup (kylix), skyphos, lekythos, kyathos, kantharos in the shape of female heads, rhyton in the shape of animal heads, and
kalathos. Subjects include revelers (“komasts”), the symposion, Dionysos and followers, warriors, athletes, Herakles, Zeus
and Ganymede, and the Trojan War. Some findspots are Etruria (Vulci, Orvieto, Chiusi, Tarquinia, Cerveteri), sites in southern
Italy and Sicily, Athens (Acropolis, Agora), sites in Attica (Brauron, Eleusis, Menidi), Thebes, Marseilles, and Olbia.
The Agrigento Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 470-440 BCE and a member of the Mannerist Group. The name
derives from a calyx krater from Agrigento (Agrigento, Archaeological Museum; BAPD 206657) showing Herakles and Nessos. Other
shapes are the column-krater, bell krater, stamnos, pelike, dinos, amphora, and hydria. Scenes include Herakles, Theseus,
Dionysos and followers, Amazons, the symposion, revelers (“komasts”), musicians, warriors, and generic males (youths, boys,
men). Some findspots are Bologna, Spina, Tarquinia, sites in southern Italy and Sicily, the Athenian Agora, Corinth, Rheneia
(Delos), Ampurias (Spain), and Naukratis.
Corinth was a city-state (polis) on the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnese to the mainland
of Greece, roughly halfway between Athens and Sparta.
The C Painter is an Athenian black-figure painter active ca. 570-560 BCE. The name derives from the “Corinthianizing” style
of painting. Shapes are the Siana cup, lekanis, tripod kothon (or pyxis), skyphos, and lekythos. Subjects include dueling
warriors, horsemen, the symposion, male revelers ("komasts"), and mythological scenes. Findspots include Athens, Eleusis,
Perachora, Corinth, southern Italy, Rhodes, Kavala, and Naukratis.
Orientalizing denotes Greek vases and other arts produced ca. 700-600 BCE. It thus falls between the Geometric (ca. 900-700
BCE) and Archaic (ca. 600-480 BCE) stylistic periods. It is divided into phases, according to region and stylistic development.
The term derives from discernible changes in the techniques and appearance of pottery, sculpture, and architecture based on
Greek contact with the Near East and Egypt. Chief stylistic trends in vase-painting include the use of animal friezes, hybrid
creatures, and rosettes. The term Orientalizing is applied to Athens (where it is also called Protoattic) and other regions,
such as Corinth (where it is also called Protocorinthian), East Greece, Crete, and the Cycladic islands. The main vase-painting
techniques in Athens and Attica are silhouette, outline, some incision, and the Black and White Style, and major painters
include the Analatos Painter, Nettos (Nessos) Painter, and Ram Jug Painter.
Group E is a large group of Athenian black-figure painters active ca. 560-540 BCE. The name derives from a close association
to Exekias, who signs a Group E vase as potter ("epoiesen"). Group E painted the pelike, different amphora types, the lekythos,
and kraters. Subjects include the Birth of Athena, Herakles, Amazons, Theseus and the Minotaur, as well as athletes, the symposion,
and funerary scenes. Findspots are Athens (Acropolis, Agora, Kerameikos), Chalkidike, Vulci, Spina, North Africa, and Russia.
The Piraeus Painter is an Athenian black-figure painter active ca. 620-600 BCE, who painted the amphora. The name derives
from a neck amphora found in Piraeus (Athens, National Museum 353; BAPD 300012) showing chariots. Findspots include Athens
and Piraeus.
The Krokotos Group is a group of Athenian black-figure painters active at the end of the 6th c. BCE. It includes the Group
of Walters 48.42, Durand Painter, and Painter of Munich 2100. The name derives from the added saffron-yellow applied to garments
and animals. Shapes include the skyphos, and the imagery pertains to Dionysos. Findspots are Etruria, the Athenian Acropolis,
Corinth, Thebes, and Sicily.
The Painter of Boston CA is a black-figure painter active ca. 575-555 BCE. The name derives from a Siana cup from Thebes (Boston,
Museum of Fine Arts 99.519; BAPD 300620) showing Circe and Acheloos. The main shape is the Siana cup, but a Panathenaic amphora
fragment with a runner is also attributed to this artist. Findspots include the Athenian Acropolis, Kavala, Rhodes, southern
Italy, and Naukratis.
Douris is an Athenian red-figure painter and potter active ca. 500-460 BCE. The name derives from the signature of Douris
as painter (“egrapsen”) on many vases. Shapes are primarily the cup, but also the lekythos, pyxis, neck amphora, psykter,
and rhyton in the shape of an animal. Scenes include the symposion, revelers (“komasts”), musicians, warriors, athletes, Dionysos
and followers, Herakles, Theseus, Zeus and Ganymede, and the Trojan War. Some findspots are Etruria (Vulci, Orvieto, Chiusi,
Cerveteri, Tarquinia), Adria, sites in southern Italy and Sicily, Athens (Agora, Acropolis, Kerameikos), Ampurias (Spain),
and Naukratis.
The FP Class is a group of Athenian black-figure cups dated to the late 6th c. BCE and characterized by large palmettes next
to the handles. The acronym “FP” stands for “flower palmette.” Scenes include courtship, Theseus and the Minotaur, riders,
and dancers. Findspots are in Greece, Sicily, Italy, and Naukratis.
Plastic vases (from the German Plastik, meaning sculpture) are mold-made figural vessels taking human, animal, or hybrid forms.
While the sculptural elements of a plastic vase are often made in two-part molds, parts can also be modeled by hand or wheel-thrown.
This type of vase reached its peak popularity in Athens during the 5th c. BCE. Plastic vases were also produced in Corinth
and Boeotia.
The Centaur Painter is an Athenian black-figure painter of Little Master cups active in the second quarter of the 6th c. BCE.
The name derives from a preference for painting centaurs and other equids. Known findspots include the Athenian Agora, Vulci,
Berezan, and Cyprus.
The Scheurleer Painter is an Athenian red-figure cup painter active in the late 6th c. BCE, who also painted bilingual cups
(black-figure interior, red-figure exterior). The name derives from a cup in the Scheurleer Collection (Amsterdam, Allard
Pierson Museum 997; BAPD 200319) showing athletes. Other subjects include warriors, satyrs, and revelers (“komasts”). Findspots
are Vulci, Gravisca, and Olbia (Black Sea).
Classical denotes Greek vases and other arts produced from ca. 480-323 BCE. It thus falls between the Archaic (ca. 600-480
BCE) and Hellenistic (323-31 BCE) stylistic periods. These dates are based on two historical events: the Persian invasion
of Athens in 480 BCE and the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE. Classical is often divided into the three phases of
Early, High, and Late, based on stylistic development. The main vase-painting techniques in Athens are red-figure and white-ground,
with black-figure still in use for the Panathenaic amphora. Major Athenian vase-painters from this time include the Pan Painter,
Niobid Painter, Achilles Painter, Polygnotos, and Eretria Painter.
The Eye-Siren Group is a group of Athenian black-figure painters active ca. 520-500 BCE. They are considered followers of
the Antimenes Painter. The name derives from a neck amphora (London, British Museum B215; BAPD 320288) displaying sirens with
large eyes on their bodies and showing Peleus and Thetis on one side with Apollo on the other. Though mainly decorating the
amphora, including some Panathenaics, other shapes are the hydria and a cup. Subjects include warriors, Herakles, Amazons,
and Dionysian scenes. Examples have been discovered in Etruria.
The Wild Goat Style is a modern term describing vase painting produced in the east of Greece, namely the southern and eastern
Ionian islands, between circa 650 to 550 BCE.
The Panther Painter is an Athenian black-figure painter active ca. 620-600 BCE. A painter mainly of the lekanis with animal
friezes, Vari (Attica) is the primary findspot.
In size, the Type D pyxis (or box-pyxis) is close to the powder pyxis, but it is more substantially made and was popular during
the late 5th and 4th centuries. It consists of a small cylinder with a flat cover and can be divided into two classes according
to the differing shapes of the lid. The lid consists of a slim flat disc with thickened rim, not unlike the discs and stands,
but provided with a flat area beneath, made to fit the inside of the mouth of the bowl.
The column-krater has an articulated neck, whose wide mouth culminates in a broad rim with an overhaning lip. It takes its
name from the two pairs of columnar handles; these attach to handle plates at their top and to the krater shoulder at their
base.
Six’s technique describes figures painted in white, red, or pink silhouette on a black surface with their details incised
(see Incised). Although giving the appearance of red-figure (see Red-figure), it is considered an example of polychrome painting
(see Polychrome; see Black Polychrome; see Added Color). The technique is first used for full figures ca. 530 BCE and continues
through the early 5th c. BCE. Mainly appearing on small vessels, such as the lekythos, its invention is attributed to the
potter Nikosthenes (see Nikosthenes). Versions have been identified on vases from Corinth, Boeotia, and East Greece. The name
derives from the Dutch scholar Jan Six who first described it in the late 19th century.
Meaning 'wine-skin,' the term askos is conventionally (and erroneously) used for a small, flat vase, with narrow sloping spout
and handle arching over body. A variant exists in the form of a double-askos.
Reserving is the practice of deliberately leaving a figure or detail unpainted. The reserved surface is the color of the fired
clay, such as the orange-red of Athenian black-figure (see Black-figure) and red-figure (see Red-figure) vases. The technique
is used on some Orientalizing vessels (see Orientalizing) as well as in East Greek and Boeotian black-figure.
The term literally means 'a pouring on.' It is used for a one-handled jug with a long, narrow neck and a reel-shaped body.
This vase type is mainly a South Italian product.
Andokides is an Athenian potter active ca. 530 BCE. Signing as potter ("epoiesen") on a number of vases, the potter is associated
with several painters: the Andokides Painter, Psiax, and Epiktetos. Shapes are mainly cups, the amphora, and hydria. Subjects
include Dionysos, Herakles, and Athena as well as athletes, warriors, and the symposion. Examples have been discovered in
Etruria.
