Nov 12, 2009

Black-Gloss Mug

Black-Gloss Mug

late 400s–300s BC

Ceramic

Diameter: 7.6 cm (3 in.); Overall: 6.9 cm (2 11/16 in.); Diameter of foot: 8 cm (3 1/8 in.)

Anonymous gift in honor of the Museum's seventy-fifth anniversary 1991.167

Location

Did you know?

The black-gloss finish of this mug derives from fired clay slip, not black pigment.

Description

Nearly cylindrical with a vertical ring handle, this vessel looks like a modern cup for tea or coffee—drinks not known in the classical world. Although the shape is unusual for an ancient drinking vessel, other examples exist, and the manufacture is typical. Turned on a wheel, the cup has a flat base and seven applied fillets adorning the exterior. Its black-gloss coating derives from the same firing technology used for black-figure and red-figure decoration.

See also

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