In ancient Greece, the phrase “to make pottery” meant to work hard. This video from the J. Paul Getty Museum reveals how the typical Athenian potter prepared clay, threw vases, oversaw firing, and added decoration or employed vase-painters. Video from the J. Paul Getty Museum.  URL: https://youtu.be/WhPW50r07L8?si=EjQI9bTOllJLQ6I6

Source: The J. Paul Getty Museum, “Making Greek vases,” in Smarthistory, February 7, 2016, accessed November 8, 2024, https://smarthistory.org/making-greek-vases-2/.

Used for the storage and shipment of grains, wine, and other goods, as well as in the all-male Greek drinking party, known as the symposium, ancient Greek vases were decorated with a variety of subjects ranging from scenes of everyday life to the tales of heroes and gods. The two most popular techniques of vase decoration were the black-figure technique, so-named because the figures were painted black, and the red-figure technique, in which the figures were left the red color of the clay. The black-figure technique developed around 700 B.C. and remained the most popular Greek pottery style until about 530 B.C., when the red-figure technique was developed, eventually surpassing it in popularity. This video illustrates the techniques used in the making and decorating of a black-figure amphora (storage jar) in the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection.. Video from the Art Institute of Chicago.  URL:  https://youtu.be/FpLPx_Akl7Y?si=fwkeMzQIDThhVGOJ

Source: Art Institute of Chicago, “Ancient Greek vase production and the black-figure technique,” in Smarthistory, February 7, 2016, accessed November 8, 2024, https://smarthistory.org/ancient-greek-vase-production-and-the-black-figure-technique-2/.

It takes many hands—and a lot of heat—to cast bronze. Follow the steps of this complex, non-intuitive process.