Stylistic Evolution

• Ancient Greek pottery began with very little design but evolved through geometric patterns, to depictions of mythology and daily life, to ornamental designs painted in many colors. Black-figure pottery is characterized by black foregrounds and red backgrounds, and red-figure pottery is the opposite.
  
  

Production Methods

• An abundance of clay was available in ancient Greece, with colors ranging from red to white depending on the region. Red-figure and black-figure pottery were made using a process that blackened parts of the clay through lack of oxygen. After the Minoan period, almost all pottery was made on a wheel.
  
  

Uses in Daily Life

• Pottery vases, bowls and jugs were created for a wide variety of uses, which also evolved over time. Wine, oil, water, perfumes and cosmetics were stored in pottery vessels. Some were also used for ceremonial, wedding and funerary purposes.