Greek Vases 101

The black figure style of Greek vase painting was invented about 700 BCE and crossed over into the Golden 5th century BCE when the red figure style was adopted. The technique of the former method was to apply a liquid clay called slip over the terracotta colored surface of the vessel. This created black silhouettes atop the reddish color. This was a very laborious process that began with first perfecting the consistency of the clay, throwing the pot on a wheel, and finally allowed to become leather hard.

The vessels were then burnished and usually a sketch of the design was made of the surface and filled in with black slip. Incisions or scratches were applied to outline the designs. Yellow, white, and red were the only colors able to endure the heat of the kilns.

In the oxidizing phase the kiln is heated to 800 degrees and oxygen is admitted through vents. This turns the surface to a glossy brownish red. The reducing phase reduces the oxygen and the temperature is increased to 950 degrees. This turns the red to a matte dark grey and the gloss area turns a deep shiny metallic black. The re-oxidizing phase allows the kiln to cool to 900 degrees and some oxygen allowed back in, and the pots revert back to their orange-red color and the black areas remain black.

If we take into account that the Ancient Greeks did not have sophisticated knowledge of chemistry, it is a wonder how fabulously beautiful these vases are. Another interesting note, is recalling the methods the Ancient Egyptians used to make the glass-like blue-green faience. The temperatures in the firings were 2000 degrees which turned the substance to the glassy form. But when the firing temperatures were 900 degrees or so, that created the crumbles of glass that could be pulverized into the pigment called Egyptian blue and green frit.

If you recall, this is the pigment I used extensively throughout my Lessons from the Pharaoh’s Tomb, Part One and Two. This pigment was also available to the Greek artists.