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