Greek Vase-Painting

Vocabulary flashcards for Greek Vase-Painting lecture notes.

Terracotta

Fired clay material used to make ancient Greek pots and cups.

Vases

Ancient Greek pots and cups.

Terracotta

Fired clay material used to make ancient Greek pots and cups.

Vases

Ancient Greek pots and cups.

Krater

Vase used to mix water and wine during a Greek symposion (an all-male drinking party).

Hydria

Vase used for collecting, carrying, and pouring water.

Geometric Period

Period (c. 900-700 B.C.E.) featuring geometric patterns on vessels.

Orientalising Period

Period (c. 700-600 B.C.E.) displaying animal processions and Near Eastern motifs.

Archaic and Classical Periods

Periods (c. 600-323 B.C.E.) known for vase-paintings primarily displaying human and mythological activities.

Slip

Liquid clay used as paint by Greek craftsmen.

Black-figure technique

Dark-coloured figures on a light background with incised detail.

Incision

Removal of slip with a sharp instrument.

Red-figure technique

Light-coloured figures are set against a dark background.

Dilute glaze

Watered down slip with the appearance of a wash

Relief lines

Lines raised prominently from the surface formed using thickened slip.

White-ground technique

Polychrome figures on a white-washed background

Kalos/Kale Inscriptions

Inscriptions that identify mythological figures, beautiful men or women contemporaneous with the painter.

Egrapsen/Epoiesen Inscriptions

Inscriptions identifying the painter or potter himself.

Nonsense Inscriptions

Mimicking the appearance of meaningful text, deceive the illiterate viewer by arranging the Greek letters in an incoherent fashion.

Belly Amphora

A two handled vessel for storing liquid - oils & water - or grains; nothing precious.

Kylix

A two handled vessel - the most common type of wine-drinking cup