Archaeological Museum of Bologna

Museo Civico Archeologico
Via dell'Archiginnasio 2 - 40124 Bologna
Tel. 051.27.57.211

Direzione e Uffici
Via de' Musei 8 – 40124 Bologna
Tel. 051.27.57.211 - Fax 051.26.65.16
mca@comune.bologna.it

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Collections / Ricerca / Greek Collection: Attic black-figure pottery

Introduction

The Attic pottery production derives its name from the region in which is situated the city of Athens and is certainly the best known and the widest among the Greek pottery productions.
Since the end of the VII century BC, in the artisan area of the city destined to workshops and potters stores, the Ceramic, it is stated the black figures decoration, derived from the contemporary Corinthian production.
Soon attic potters abandon the geometric and floral motifs, characteristic of Corinthian manufacture, to give more space to the representations of the human figure and themes inspired by mythology. The Attic pottery depictions in fact are characterized by a highly narrative content; the most represented subjects relate to episodes from the homeric tales and gods and mythical heroes enterprises. The myth represents the historical memory of the greek people and, the episodes and characters depicting in the vases decoration, sometimes allow to recognize the reflection of particular historical events and the political situation in Athens.
The shiny black color that characterizes the Attic ceramics was not obtained through a glaze, but with the addition of a layer of a very fine and purified clay, applied by brush on the body of the vase. Only after a complicated cooking process in the furnace the parts of the vase on which had been applied the diluted clay taking the characteristic black shiny.
Since the beginning of the VI century BC vases produced in Athens spread not only on the greek market, but also along the main Mediterranean shipping routes, arriving in great abundance in Italy at the Etruscans.

Exhibition rooms | Rooms V and VI - Greek collection