Greek Vases - Essays

A brief essay on the history of the potter's wheel and its appearance, form, and use in ancient Greece.

An overview of the invention of pottery and how it was processed, constructed, decorated, and fired in ancient Greece.

An introduction to the Orientalizing period in Greek art (mid-8th to mid-7th centuries B.C.E.), during which time Near Eastern and Egyptian artistic culture influenced the decoration of Greek vases, as well as other forms of Greek art.

A survey of the many uses of various oils in ancient Greece and a discussion of its social and economic value.

An overview of the chronology of Minoan pottery (c. 3,000-1,100 B.C.E.).

A definition of leather-hard, a term used to describe a phase in the process of making pottery.

A brief discussion of ceramic kilns in the ancient Greek world.

An overview of changes to Greek pottery during the Hellenistic period and the influence of metal vessels on contemporary pottery vessels.

An introduction to the Hellenistic period in Greece and the major cultural, social, and artistic changes it brought.

An overview of the pottery of the Geometric Period in Greece (ca. 900-700 B.C.E.) and its interpretation.