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Why was the Moche Pottery Important?

Black figure pottery in ancient Greece, does it reflect black paint or a black presence?

  • The first time I saw an ancient Greek black figure pottery, I initially thought that there were "Black" people in ancient Greece and the pottery depicted them. I was mistaken because the explanation given by historians is that black paint was used to depict men and white paint to depict women on pottery in ancient Greece. I read books on a black presence in ancient Greece. They all confirm that they were indeed Blacks in Ancient Greece and some of them were represented in paintings, pottery and frescoes. Can someone tell me more about the distinction between Blacks represented in Western art and black figure pottery in ancient Greece ?

  • Answer:

    Notwithstanding Footso the Fairest Cat of Them All (along with Tom and Jerry) 'blinding' naive and unsuspecting schoolkids 'with science' - Greeks are, neither Black, nor White. They are Coloured. When they are angry, they turn red with rage. When they are ill (most of them are) they turn yellow with jaundice. When they are scared, they turn pale with fear. And; when they are jealous, they turn green with envy. P.S. Black is beautiful.

KiloEcho at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

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If you are truly interested in learning more about the black figure pottery, Wikipedia has an excellent article, which describes also the technique with which this pottery was made. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-figure_pottery The black figures are NOT meant to depict black people. The subjects are primarily from Greek mythology and are meant to represent Greeks but in a silhouette form. http://www.historum.com/ancient-history/14429-captain-blacks-fresco.html As for blacks in ancient Greece---they may have existed as servants or slaves.... here is a fragment of a wall painting from Akrotiri... http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/damiavos/4053459875/. Additionally, there is a fresco from Knossos in Crete showing a Minoan leading black soldiers... http://www.historum.com/ancient-history/14429-captain-blacks-fresco.html

dvatwork

Its called Balck-Figure pottery, and there is also Red-Figure pottery. Check the links dvatwork provided. Of cource there where blacks in Ancient Greece. Creek cities had trade routs to afrika, which in Ancient Greek was nammed Lybia, and many Greek colonies were founded in Africa.

Kimon

I sense a bit of provocation in your question and that is understandable up to a point. However, Dvatwork has given you a very good explanation and links to really get to know what the use of black colour used in Greek ancient pottery represents. After all, that period is called Black Colour Pottery period in contrast to other periods when other colours were used. It is therefore, a simple coincidence of the colour used and nothing else, even though blacks lived in Greece, just as they live now, but that does not make the Greeks a mixed race, which is what you implied with your question. After all, it is known that the ancient Greek tribes originated in the different parts of the then known Greek world. None was known as racially black.

Airpole.

it is to do with the very limited range of pigments that could be applied to clay pots and then fired and still retain their colour , back when these things were made . As Negroes were , in origin , sub-saharan , or encountered high up the nile river , in what is now south Sudan , there were few about in Classical Greece , still few in the Hellenised Mediterranean , but more in the Roman period .

CMV

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