they were exported to the
ports of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea for the markets of the
adjoining countries. Owing to the beautiful custom of the ancients of
leaving in the graves of the dead the utensils of their daily life, a
great many beautiful vessels have been preserved which otherwise would
have shared the destruction of the dwellings with much less fragile
implements. From the pictures on these vases we derive, moreover,
valuable information as to the public and private habits of the
Greeks. The greatest number of graves in their original condition, and
filled with vessels, are found in Italy.

[Illustration: PLUNDERING CORINTH.]

Good, particularly red, clay was in demand for superior goods, and of
this the promontory of Kolias, near Athens, furnished an unlimited
supply. The potter's wheel was in use at a very early period. On it
were formed both large and small vessels, with the difference,
however, that of the former the foot, neck, and handles were formed
separately, and afterwards attached, as was also the case in small
vessels with widely curved handles.

In order to intensify the red color the vessel was frequently glazed
and afterwards dried and burnt on the oven. The outlines of the
figures to be painted on the vase were either cut into the red clay
and filled up with a brilliant black varnish, or the surface itself
was covered with the black varnish up to the contours, in which case
these stood out in the natural red color of the clay.

The first mentioned process was the older of the two, and greater
antiquity is, therefore, to be assigned to vessels with black figures
on a red ground. In both kinds of paintings draperies or the muscles
of nude figures were further indicated by the incision of additional
lines of the color of the surface into the figures. Other colors,
like dark red, violet, or white, which on close investigation have
been recognized as dissolvable, were put on after the second burning
of the vessel.

About the historic development of pottery we know nothing beyond what
may be guessed from the differences of style. As we said before,
figures of a black or dark-brown color painted on the natural pale red
or yellowish color of the clay indicate greater antiquity. The black
figures were occasionally painted over in white or violet. These
vessels are mostly small and somewhat compressed in form; they are
surrounded with parallel stripes of pictures of animals, plants,
fa