ART 198 - HISTORY OF WORLD CERAMICS

To achieve the white ground effect, first a white slip was painted as a background onto the pot, and then thin washes of colored slips, such as brick red, purple, yellow, and ocher were painted. Lastly, the outlines were highlighted in a thin line of black slip. Here the mistress of the house takes a scarf from a chest offered by her maid. This is a detail from a lekythos, and would have been used to make a burial offering. Perhaps this scene is from the daily life of the deceased. The visages of the people on these white ground pots are invariably calm and serene. The familiar meander and honeysuckle pattern appear above and below the action.

Greek White Ground Lekythos, Detail of Woman with Maid, 460 BCE