Greek vase-painting (Griechische Vasenmalerei) — John Shaqi
Greek vase-painting (Griechische Vasenmalerei)Buschor, Ernst
History
Greek vase-painting (Griechische Vasenmalerei)
Buschor, Ernst
Vase-painting, Greek
in vogue; they appear also in loose arrangement on the ‘Bird kylikes,’
which in post-Geometric times extended from Rhodes over the Ionian
region and so made their way to the Greek mainland, Italy and Sicily.
The most important Peloponnesian manufactures are: (1) that of Sparta,
which now to some extent adopts the white slip later predominant; (2)
that of Argos, which soon discards its Mycenean reminiscences and
develops on parallel lines with the Attic ware without attaining to the
heights and richness of the Dipylon vases; (3) above all, the so-called
Protocorinthian.
This Geometric style, which next to the Attic had the greatest future
before it, seems to be at home in the Northern Argolid (p. 34). Its
early Geometric beginnings we do not know. It is akin to its Argive
neighbour in many points, in the scantiness of its stock of forms, in
shapes like the metallic krater with a stirrup-handle. Unfortunately
little has been left to us of the large-sized vases, kraters, cauldrons,
amphoræ and jugs. The two-handled cup (Fig. 23), the round box, the
globular oil-flask, the deep drinking-cup, the jug with flat bottom
(Fig. 33) are the favourite smaller shapes. The limitation of the
decoration to the upper margin, and the decoration of the rest with
parallel stripes is characteristic. This ware was more exported than any
other Geometric class; it entered the southern Argolid, went by way of
Corinth and Eleusis to Boeotia and Delphi, and was exported to Aegina
and Thera, Italy and Sicily. On Italian soil, in the Euboean
[Illustration: PLATE XII.
Fig. 22. RHODIAN GEOMETRIC JUG.
Fig. 23. PROTOCORINTHIAN GEOMETRIC SKYPHOS.]
colony of Kyme, it certainly founded a branch factory, which quickly
took on a local character and exported in its turn; but in various other
places also the style evoked local imitations.
The Protocorinthian style owed its brilliant future both to the
Geometric foundation, and, as will appear, to the strong influence of
Cretan Art. In Crete, after the settlement of the Dorians in the island,
no definite Geometric style was formed: the Mycenean traditions were too
strong and the relations with the East too close. After the purely
Geometric vases, among which wide-bellied amphoræ without a neck are
common, there soon appear vases showing Cyprian influence, particularly
small jugs with concentric circles on the body (precursors of Fig. 27);
thus a pitcher from Kavusi, which by an exception has figures on it (a
charioteer and mourning women in a metope-like arrangement) is
apparently, in shape as well as in the ornament which consists of a row
of ‘S’s’ on their backs and the un-Geometric drawing of its silhouettes,
dependent on similar Cyprian models.
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