У статті розглянуто основні етапи виробництва аттичної чорнолакової кераміки класичного
періоду. В цьому ракурсі визначено основні характеристики аттичної глини, з якої виготовляли чорнолаковий посуд. Виокремлено основні етапи виробництва кераміки, а саме підготовку матеріалів,
формовку посуду, нанесення орнаментів та обпалення. Особливу увагу присвячено підготовці чорнолакового покриття, його мінералогічному та хімічному складу та складній системі обпалу цього
виду посуду, в чому й полягає головна таємниця успіху давньогрецьких майстрів.
The article reviews the main stages of the attic black-glazed classic pottery manufacturing. The main
secret of excellence quality of the attic black-glazed pottery is hidden in the attic clay. Attic clay is rich
sedentary clay that is characteristically an orange-red color and has plastic properties, making it ideal for
pottery.
When clay is first dug out of the ground, it is full of rocks and shells and other useless items that need to
be removed. So, the master needs to repeatedly do levigation and elutriation to the clay. After purification,
clay becomes smooth, elastic, and homogeneous. The next stage of manufacturing is forming. Most of attic
pottery was wheel-made, more complex pieces were made in parts then assembled when it was leather-hard
by means of joining with a slip, where the potter returned to the wheel for the final shaping, or turning.
The pots were usually made in sections such as the body, the foot, and the spout.
After the pot is made, the potter decorates it with stumps and incised lines. Then master covers the surface
with special black glaze.
The last but the most complex stage is burning in a kiln, which has three stages. At first, the pottery
is stacked inside the kiln; the potter heats the kiln up to around 850° C with all the vents on the sides
open to let air in. This turns the pottery and the paint red all over. Once the kiln reaches 800° C, the
vents are closed and the temperature is raised to 950° C and then allowed to drop back to 900° C. This
turns the pottery and the paint all black. The potter then starts the third and final phase by opening the
vents and allowing the kiln to cool all the way down. This last phase leaves the slip black but turns the
pottery back to red.
So, the technology of manufacturing the black-glazed pottery is very important for understanding the
main difference between this type of pottery and others. Exactly due to this knowledge we can divide and
date pottery more accurately.
