Ancient Greek Vessels
The ancient Greek applied bronze, stone, glass, ivory, silver, terracotta, and other materials to design fabrics and vases. To the people of Ancient Greek, bronze was the material of choice due to its inexpensive nature, strength, resilience, and lightweight. The Greek people fashioned weapons, tools, ornaments such as horse decorations and clothing from bronze. Greeks designed vessels and vases to enable meet their daily needs. The Greek manages to make various qualities of materials by use of precious metals they largely apply vanish due to melting and reuse. The vessels of antiquity are cheaper unlike the ones established with precious metal such as silver and gold (Gentle 14). The period of antiquity sees the demand of bronze unlike other metals since it is available in large quantities in the region of Mediterranean especially the island of Cyprus. Some of the Greek artisans refer to the British Isles as the Tin Island since people combine tin and copper to derive bronze. The alloy of tin and copper is easier to shape and fabricate unlike working with copper alone
The Greeks perceived shape and function instead of the medium. Some of the Greek bronze vessels depict extraordinary talent and attraction (Gaidos 26). The technique of the ancient bronze vessels dates back before 3000 BC when artists in Mesopotamia and Egypt discover the effect of mixing tin and copper to produce an alloy bronze. The artists of the fourth century in ancient Greek use metalworking techniques to construct the bronze vases. This technique entails using the process of rising to design the bodies of the vases while repeatedly some of the parts of the vessels such as the mouth, feet, and handle are cast from a mold. An artist removes the wax model and covers it in clay. The next process is the firing process as the wax melts out. Later, artisans mix the molten bronze with the cavity of the clay mold (Hampe and Erika 58). Once the mixture solidifies, one removes the clay mold and polishes the smooth surface of the bronze. One can shape the wax model into various shapes such as an animal having figural motifs and decorations. The motif can accommodate distinct geometric and floral patterns prior to the process of firing. Artisans have the ability of refining ornamental additions to the cold work after firing. One can rivet the cast parts by hammering, soldering, or combining the two methods. Bronze offers maximum strength while retaining the qualities that allow for exceptional workmanship. The ancient Greek vessels apply two techniques. The artists hammer the body beginning with the disc of the thickened metal to achieve the desired contour. One can add a decorative applique to enliven the austere appearance (Hampe and Erika 61). An artisan could cast animals such as lions and later on, some artists discovered the technique of saving the metal using reposes.'
Greeks made their first bronze vessels in the geometric period and apply them for ceremonies such as funerals and later on, these vessels serve as awards for people that emerge victorious in the athletics. A bronze tripod is popular and one can cast the entire vessel with rivets hammered to a bowl. In the fifth centuries, the bronze tripod cauldrons have the decorations of griffin-proteomes to support it. One of the ancient bronze cauldrons appears in Hippodrome, Istanbul. The cauldron has a cast of kneeling figures around the rim to support a hollowed-cast column. The tripod cauldron stands at nearly 20 feet and its purpose in the ancient days was a symbol of dedication to the gods due to the conquest at Delphi when the Greek cities defeated the Persians in 479BCE (Gaidos 26). Some of the bronze vessels have a hammered disk and bear hollow shapes that can turn on a lathe to cater for further reshaping due to the elasticity of the bronze material. In most instances, the bronze was cast into handles or rim of vessels with a separate cast.
In the early fourth century, the technique used to achieve the figural relief of the walls of some of the classical Greek vessels has a fascinating finish. The relief covered on the wall achieves a response technique with heavy augmentation on the exterior cold work. Bronze vessels are cast together with relief through sophisticated casting methods that conserve the inner walls that the artists subsequently hammer into a relief area of their distinct shapes. Some of the bronze vessels displayed in Italy of the ancient Greek depict a higher extensive relief that is indirectly cast together with the rim, handle attachments, and a wax model to produce a single mold with a subsequent emboss on the relief freeze.
The ancient wine vessels are produced through bronze and apply in ceremonies and parties. Most of the wine vessels have elaborate decorations. Some of the classical bronze drinking vessels include cups, bowls, strainer, situla, and oinochoae. A pyskter has an unusual shape with a bulbous body to keep the wine cool. The situlai wine bucket is popular in the fourth century. The Oinochoai jugs vary in shape and size. Bronze technique also applies to washing vessels such as footbaths, storage vessels, and amphorae vessels.
Bronze vessels depict unique artwork of importance to the Ancient Greek in the prehistoric period. The vases signify the metalworking technique and decorative preference of the ancient Greek. The artisan living in this era inspires other cultures such as the Etruscan to adopt the metal working technique. Bronze vessels serve as reserves of currency and votive offerings other than primary functions.
Classical Greek Pottery
The ancient Greek bronze vessels are mainly for household use. The classical Greek pottery has decorations and paintings to depict the trade routes. It embodies a sharp, well-proportioned shape. The pot has figured decoration as the central band of the fine ware. The decoration has a neat presentation of geometric patterns. Athenians led in the development of the classical Greek pottery. The figure employs a polychrome and incision drawing technique. The mythological pictures depict the prehistoric Corinthian soldiers with other animals such as panthers, Sphinxes, and lions.
Athenian Vase
Athens used black and red figure technique to decorate the fine pottery. The Athenian vase fulfills normal household purpose such as storage or transportation of water, wine, and food. The artisan makes the body and the neck separately and lastly adds the handles. Vase painters apply the black color during firing and add white and purple enhancements. The figural articulates glaze lines where one applies it with a brush. The red-figure invention date 530 B.C to replace the black-figure technique.
Works Cited
Gaidos, Susan. "Jars of plenty: Ancient Greek trading vessels carried much more than wine." Science News 180.13 (2011): 26-27. Print.
Gentle, Pat. Stone vessels of the Cyclades in the early Bronze Age. University Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2006. Print.
Hampe, Roland, and Erika Simon. The birth of Greek art, from the Mycenaean to the Archaic period. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013. Print.
