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Before the modern advents of trains and automobiles, trade between civilizations
concentrated around the Mediterranean moved foremost by sea. While many bulk
commodities such as timber and stone could be loaded directly aboard a ship with
little preparation, other commodities such as spices, wine, and grain needed to be
packed in individual containers for transport both at sea and on land and to prolong
their life span. Pottery was first created in order to fulfill these practical needs. Over
time, the art form evolved from large, unadorned commercial transport vessels to
refined, specialized works in elegant shapes used to hold precious substances such as
perfume or oils.
An entire retinue of terracotta vessels dedicated to the rites of the dinner table began
to appear. These pieces were based on the luxurious bronze and silver vessels that
could only be afforded by the wealthy elite and were decorated with fanciful natural
motifs and painted scenes of everyday life and celebrated myths. These wares were of
such beauty that they themselves became prized commodities and were traded
throughout the Mediterranean world; perhaps even for the very substances they were
created to contain. These works are individually classified by their shapes and their
form was inherently linked to their function, be it preparation, dispensation, or
consumption.
The majority of the pots were thrown on a manually driven potter’s wheel and fired in
a wood-burning kiln where the artist could determine the color of the vessel by
controlling the oxygen flow within. While many potters threw and painted their own
works, certain potters excelled in producing specific shapes, and other artists
specialized in painting. Before the 6th Century B.C., the island of Corinth, with their
distinctive black-figure wares that first appeared in the 7th Century, dominated the
lucrative pottery export trade.
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