Late Proto-Corinthian Piriform Aryballos

In the late 600s B.C., Corinthian pottery was widely exported throughout the Mediterranean, and the most common type of Corinthian shape was the aryballos. A vessel designed for holding perfumed oils, an aryballos could not hold much liquid. The narrow neck and large disk mouth made it easier to pour this precious commodity slowly, without spillage. Corinthian potters invented the black-figure technique of vase-painting, and most but not all of their pottery was decorated with figural scenes. In the period from 650 to 640 B.C., a time that scholars call Late Proto-Corinthian, potters also decorated vases with simple patterns such as those seen here: a tongue pattern on the shoulder and base and a scale pattern on the body. These patterns were frequently used as secondary decoration on vases with figural scenes. The scales were drawn with a compass, and the centering points are still visible.