Douris and the Painters of Greek Vases — John Shaqi
Douris and the Painters of Greek VasesPottier, Edmond
History
Douris and the Painters of Greek Vases
Pottier, Edmond
Douris, active 6th century B.C.-5th century B.C.; Vase-painting, Greek
During the time of the Peloponnesian war (431 B.C.) the number of
metics had increased to 96,000, as compared with 120,000 citizens--an
enormous proportion. It is therefore to be supposed that many
manufacturers at the beginning of the fifth century were aliens or
descended from foreign families. This hypothesis is confirmed by the
potters’ names, many of which are foreign: Skythes (the Scythian),
Lydos (the Lydian), Amasis (name of an Egyptian Pharaoh of the
sixth century), Kolchos (inhabitant of Colchis), Thrax (of Thrace),
Sikanos and Sikelos (the Sicilian), Brygos (name of a Macedonian or
Illyrian people), etc. Beside these, however, we meet with many purely
Greek or Attic names--Klitias, Ergotimos, Nikosthenes, Epiktetos,
Pamphaios, Euphronios, Hieron, Megakles, and others. In certain cases,
the craftsman’s patronymic follows, as Kleomenes, son of Nikias;
Euthymedes, son of Polios. This indicates a freeman and citizen of
Athens. Once we even find the deme mentioned: Nikias, son of Hermokles,
of the deme Anaphlystos. We here catch a glimpse of a society where the
actual citizen associates freely with many naturalised aliens. It is
probable that slaves or freedmen were also employed, as one may guess
from the following nicknames: Paidikos (beautiful child), Smikros (the
little one), Mys (the rat). Douris’ name does not appear to be Attic.
It is always written Doris on vases, but we know that in those times
the diphthong _ou_ was simply expressed by _o_. The name Doris does not
exist in the catalogue of men’s names which has come down to us, while
the name Douris is well-known. It may have been of Ionian origin.
To resume, the Kerameikos of Athens formed a district by itself, a
little world where all sorts of people belonging to different races
and societies jostled one another. The master was the manager of
the factory and a craftsman, capable of making a vase as well as
painting it, designing the forms, the ornaments, and the subjects.
His assistants, who were sometimes allowed the honour of signing,
were employed under his direction in the shaping and decorating of
pottery; even women took part in this work, as we see on a beautiful
vase-painting (Fig. 2) to be described later. Lastly, there were the
workmen engaged in working the clay, preparing the glaze and the
colours, taking care of the ovens, moving materials, etc. Comparing the
arrangements in a modern ceramic factory, one will find about the same
conditions and these three grades of workers.
[Illustration: Fig. 4. A POTTER’S WORKSHOP. MODELLING AND BAKING OF
VASES.
Hydria. Munich Museum.]
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