| Ceramic has come from a long history of time. | | | | develop its own ceramic art. |
| With human being has more knowledge and | | | | The first pure Italian pottery was created from |
| advanced equipment, people start making the | | | | bright red clay still found in the south of the |
| development in ceramic making. In this article you | | | | peninsula. When ornamented, the works were |
| will learn the history of ceramic from the Greek | | | | molded with relief. Their almost dazzling luster was |
| time until Roman time. | | | | produced with a thin alkaline glaze which gave an |
| First to make extensive use of molds were the | | | | extraordinary depth and richness to the clay |
| Greeks, who also developed the use of naturalistic | | | | colors. The earliest decoration predominantly floral |
| painted decoration. In the Golden Age of Greece, | | | | patterns, masks, dances, feasts, battles and other |
| the art of the ceramic painter was so far | | | | episodes of life was copied heavily from the |
| separated from that of the potter that each was | | | | embossed silverware looted and brought back |
| able to put his signature on his portion of the | | | | from Alexandria by Roman soldiers. |
| work. The best examples of early Greek pottery | | | | Almost from the start, Roman potters cast their |
| often bear the marks of two master craftsmen. | | | | works in clay molds, which were prepared |
| At about 1000 B.C., there was a tremendous | | | | mechanically by means of separate stamps. The |
| upheaval in Greek art. The geometric style of | | | | final artistic effect was therefore dependent upon |
| linear decoration crowded ornamentation with | | | | the potter's imagination and skill. |
| repeated rows of figures, triangles, lozenges, | | | | At about 100 A.D., the Italian art was suddenly |
| circles and zigzags characterize Grecian ceramics | | | | eclipsed by the delicate ceramic pieces made in |
| of this period. Many of the designs were entirely | | | | France. Rome still produced its own coarse |
| local. The most elaborate were those of Athens, | | | | pottery for ordinary domestic use, unglazed and |
| called Diplynware after the cemetery at the city | | | | undecorated, which formed the bulk of ancient |
| gate, where the largest vases have been found. | | | | ceramics of all periods. But the wealthy class, for |
| There are huge sepulchral jars which bear among | | | | whom all fine pottery was manufactured, was |
| the geometric patterns, panels filled with pictures | | | | won over by the superior craftsmanship and |
| of funerals, corpses surrounded by mourners, and | | | | quality offered by the Gallic potters. The colors |
| processions of chariots. The stylized human and | | | | were more vivid and the clay-paste itself was |
| animal figures were drawn in stark, dramatic, | | | | harder and more durable. Examples of this |
| black silhouette. | | | | pottery, called Sigillata, are still excavated all over |
| The next significant developments took place in | | | | the Roman world, but most abundantly in central |
| Italy, after Greece fell to the invading legions of | | | | France. |
| Rome. In the centuries that followed, Greek | | | | During a period of time, ceramic has made so |
| influence was extremely potent in all Roman art | | | | much progress. As each nation has different |
| because so many workmen were imported either | | | | culture, ceramic also has gone through different |
| as colonists or slaves. Much early Italian pottery | | | | shapes, depend on the culture or the place where |
| can be distinguished from the Greek only by a | | | | the potter lived. |
| slight difference in the clay. But Rome was to | | | | |