The Forming of Attic Vases |

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By JOSEPH V. NOBLE

ALMosT ALL ATTIC Vases were made to bald one of
there Iequids, all essential tv the Greek way of life;
wine, water or olive oil, The atihivideal shapes were
designed for ease of handling, convenience and prac-
ticality, but always with an eye for beauty. The clay
that was used im making Attic pediery was found in
various deposits near the city of Athens, one of whoch
adjaing the present-day tows of Amarousi. The clay
accurs in large sietlace areas in a celatively pure stite,
quite easy to mine. This red clay, with its extracediniry
working of handling characterisis and handsome
cwlor, is one of the finest clays in the world fis un
usual plastic properties allowed the ancient potters of
Athens to fashsom the most refine) shapes om their
wheels. It red color chotetod the restrained, saceptlerste-
cated ced and black color cembinatwn that was the
hallmark of Attic pottery and which was promdly ex
ported to the lands bourclep the Mediterranean Seu
and beyond,

The ancient clay pits of Amarcusi have heen worked
continuity to the present lay, One of the largest
pits is illustrated here. The modern level is xbout
thirty-five feet below the surface of the surrcambing
groand. Unfortunately, all traces of the ancient work-
ings have been eradicated owing to the constane dig-
Bing an the pit.

As the ¢lay comes free the pit, it & mod with
sand, small stones, devayed weevtable matter azul other
farcsgn material, all of which has to be removed be-
fore clay can he used. This & accomplishe| tmbiy, as
In ancient times, by mixing water wath the clay and
letting the enixture stand in a large settleng besin. The
heavy impurities fall to the bottom amd the upper
layer of clay and water is pamped of bailed into an
adjoining settling basen. This process is repented,
sometames several times, Each setthng purides the clay
still further until the desired quality is olained. Ob.
viously 2 purer clay was reqpuired to Fashion a delicate
kyhx than te form a large coarse-tnbeed storage jar.

Clay depesets are found in many locations in Greece,
but mat all clays are sustable for making pottery ; scene-

times diferent clays are blended to vary the color o¢
warking properties, This practice was fevorded in
ancient tines in an agricultural trestee known as Cac
parice (vi.39): “Net all earth is suitable for pottery,
leat with regard to potters clay, some peefer the yel-
lovwish ved, seen the white, aul others max the two.”

The ancient potter had to kmow the propertes of
his clay om order to make the best use vf it. The shrink-
age of clay takes place in two distinct phasis, The test
micurs adter the vase as formed, during the ¢hereayh
drying leat befure fring. The second shrinkage hap-
pens during the firang process. Measurements show
that im Atte clay the linear crying shrinkage is 9 per
cent, and the firing shrinkage resulting frum a tem-
perature of 445° C, is Vy per cent, a total shrnkage
mf Oby per cent. The poeter hal ta take this shrinkape
into account whey he was fashioning the vase. It is
test probable that he made the lids for hes vases at
the same tune as the vases 20 that they woukl shrink
proportionately aru} stell ft after dring.

Ment Attic black.figuce| ane| red-fygured vases, woth
the exception of the so-talled plastic vases, were pro
duced an the patter’s wheel. This technique, however,
was perfevted andy after a loag period of evolution
and development, The earliest clay-forming tevhnique,
wwented about seven thisand years ago, was the
freehand] forming of a vessel from a bump of clay.
This was accomplished by peashing and penching the
clay ung the desired shape was achieved. Examples
af thés early technsque, dating from about HWM Be:.,
have been found in Jordan, §ran and $e

Later this process was impraved by the use of
strands of clay whih were used te burl the: put. A
thick stramd was coiled arceand » flat hand-formed hase
disc of clay and then pinched and smeetled to form
a good joint, Adklitiomal strands were added and con-
silidwted to build the pot te the desired height and
shape, To assist in the compacting and smootheng op-
tration, sometimes 2 rvunced stone was held inside
against the wall of the pot while the outer surface was
beaten wath a paddle. Very fine pottery weth walls of