Potters, Greek

The three-phase firing process ancient Greek potters used to create this vase utilized both oxidation and reduction processes. 

More than 3000 years after Halaf times the Greek potters perfected the techniques used by the Halafians and accurately controlled the production of black and red slip decorated wares. Some of the possible techniques for preparing slips used in painted decoration such as those found on Greek vases have been discussed by Winter (4). The inclusion of potash from leached wood ash in the finely fractionated clay and the manner of firing strongly influenced the appearance of the fired ware. 

The term ceramics comes from the Greek keramikos, which means potter s clay or burnt stuff. While traditional ceramics were often based on natural clays, today s ceramics are largely synthetic materials. Depending on which ceramic and which definition is to be applied, ceramics have been described as inorganic ionic materials and as inorganic covalent (polymeric) materials. In fact, many ceramics contain both covalent and ionic bonds and can thus be considered to be or not to be (shades of Shakespeare) polymeric materials. Many of the new ceramics, such as the boron nitriles and the silicon carbides, are polymeric without containing any ionic bonds. 

Ceramics derives its name from the Greek word keramos (potter s clay). Ceramics or potter s clay has been used since prehistoric times to make a variety of objects. 

The properties of asbestos have been known for thousands of years, with one of the earliest recorded uses of asbestos being by Finnish Potters who used it to strengthen their clay over 4000 years ago. It is also recorded that the Egyptians and Romans shrouded their dead in asbestos cloth, and the Greeks and Romans made asbestos lamp wicks that apparently seemed to burn forever. 

Pliny (77 ad) states that Apelles invented the method for making black from burnt ivory, the Greek name for which is ele-phantinon. Genuine ivory black was made from ivory pieces or shavings baked in a closed container in a potter s kiln. Hilliard (1624) and de Mayeme (MS Sloane 2052, cf Harley, 1982) both give instructions for the production of ivory black that involve additions of salt. 

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