152 



KNOWLEDGE 



[July 1, 1896. 



friezes bonleriiif; tlio (lof^iyn, of which tlicy thereby 

 gradually cease to become an integral part. The face is 

 now generally rendered in silhouette, sometimes in outline, 

 and the practice grows up of distinguishing female ligures 

 by the application of white for llosh tints; this afterwards 

 became universal as long as the black-iigure period lasted. 



Another feature with which we now meet almost for the 

 first time is that of artists' signatures ; two are known to 

 us on Corinthian vases, one of which is found on a speci- 

 men of a remarkable series of painted plaques discovered 

 on the Acropolis of Corinth in 187!'. Most of them bear 

 dedications to Poseidon, and many also have representa- 

 tions of this god with his consort Amphitrite. On several 

 specimens are I'epresentatioiis of mining, of the potter's 

 art, and other occupations of daily life. The inscriptions 

 are important as dating these plaques between G50 and 

 550 n.c. They wore hung up as votive tablets in a temple 

 of Poseidon, the guardian deity of Corinth, and had been 

 collected in a rubbish-heap like the Naucratis fragments 

 mentioned in the last article.* 



The favourite shapes of Corinthian potters are, in the 

 earlier examples, the aryballos and alabastos, kylix, pyxis. 



black, on a thick, croauiy slip, with purple and incised 

 details. From a technical point of view they represent the 

 same stage as the older Corinthian fabrics, but the drawing 

 shows a great advance, while the mythological repertoire 

 is comparatively large. They are generally attributed to 

 the first half of the sixth century. One of the most 

 remarkable specimens is in the Library at Paris, and 

 represents Arkesilaos II., King of Cyrene on the north 

 coast of Africa (580-550 ii.c), weighing out bales of the 

 plant silphium (asafiftida). This plant was a product of 

 the country, and a great source of revenue to the kings 

 of Cyrene; it is represented on many of the coins. Another 

 example in the British Museum (unfortunately, much 

 injured) represents a female figure holding branches of 

 silphium, surrounded by flying male and female figures. 

 It has been most ingeniously shown that this figure repre- 

 sents the Ilesperid nymph Cyrene, while the other figures 

 are the Boreades (who bring the fertilizing north wind) and 

 the Harpies (who guarded the Carden of the llesperides). 

 All this is very strong evidence for the presumption that 

 these vases were manufactured at Cyrene, although it is 

 true that none have been found there ; there is also a 



Fig. 1. — (a) Cup (Kylix) of so-cillcd Cvrcue Fabric, representing a SacriKi'f; one-fourtli original. (A) Cup (Cotyle) 

 from Coriiitli; two Sii'ens confronted; one - fourth original. (c) I'Ute (Pinax) ; Warrior blowing Trumpet; 

 one-fourth originil. 



and cotyle (Fig. 16) — viz., small oil flasks and two-handled 

 cups ; but in the later stages the larger shapes, such as the 

 amphora, crater, and hydria, come into general use ; also 

 the oinochoe. The later specimens are usually made 

 of red clay, and are, in fact, little distinguishable from 

 the earlier Athenian examples. It is an open ques- 

 tion whether the Athenian vases were influenced by 

 Corinthian, or the reverse; but, probably, both views 

 contain a measure of truth. A wider field is now opened 

 to the subjects, which include scenes from the Trojan 

 legends or the exploits of Herakles. Names from myth- 

 ology are frequently inscribed over the figures of banqueters, 

 warriors, or huntsmen, or ordinary scenes from daily life, 

 in order to intensify the interest or to give a sort of idealized 

 picture of everyday events. 



We must now retrace our steps once more to discuss a 

 fabric of especial interest and importance, though repre- 

 sented by comparatively few specimens (see Fig. l'/|. These 

 vases are, almost without exception, of the shape kuown as 

 k-yli.r, or goblet, and the designs are painted, in lustrous 



* Sc<? Kkowlbdge fur April. 



close connection in technique with Naucratis, where, 

 indeed, the last-mentioned vase was found. 



We must now turn our attention once more to Athens, 

 a city that is destined not only to supplant Corinth as the 

 chief centre of ceramic art, but gradually to oust all other 

 fabrics from favour or absorb their excellencies in its own, 

 and to retain this monopoly unquestioned for two centuries. 

 The impetus to this productiveness was given by the extra- 

 ordinary advance of art and culture under the beneficent 

 rule of the tyrant Peisistratos and his successors (5G5- 

 510 B.C.). The immediate result of this development was 

 to attract artists from all parts of Greece, and in the 

 Athenian sculpture and vases of this period we are able to 

 trace a marked influence of Peloponnesiau art. 



The museum at Florence possesses one of the most 

 remarkable existing specimens of Greek pottery in the 

 shape of a large vase (of the shape known as crater) found 

 near Chiusi in 1814 by M. Francois, from whom it is 

 always known as the Francois Vase. This vase bears 

 the signature of two Athenian artists, to this effect : 

 " Ergotimos made me, Klitias painted me"; and it is 

 usually attributed to the middle of the sixth century. The 



