Bilingual vase painting is a special form of ancient Greek vase painting. The term, derived from linguistics, is essentially a metaphorical one; it describes vases that are painted both in the black-figure and in the red-figure techniques.

What is bilingual amphora?

DescriptionThis amphora is decorated on both sides but in different painting techniques. One side has a scene depicted in the Red Figure style, and the other side shows the same scene in the Black Figure style. This type of decoration puts the vase into the so-called Bilingual group.

Where was Achilles and Ajax playing a game found?

the Vatican Museum
Amphora with Ajax and Achilles playing a board game, painted by Exekias, c. 550–540 bce; in the Vatican Museum.

Did black or red-figure come first?

The Red-figure technique was first adopted in Athens in the 6th century BCE. Before this period, the Black-figure pottery technique was prevalently utilized. The technique consisted of a background painted in black slip (instead of the figures) and relief lines were used for details.

How many phases of firing did black figure pottery require?

The firing process of both red- and black-figure vessels consisted of three stages. During the first, oxidizing stage, air was allowed into the kiln, turning the whole vase the color of the clay.

Where was Ajax the Great born?

Ajax Son of Telamon Ajax the Great was a prince of Salamis, born to Telamon and Periboea. Heroic blood thus flowed through Ajax, for Telamon was a named hero who fought alongside Heracles and took part in the quest for the Golden Fleece and the hunt for the Calydon Boar.

How did the Greeks paint their pottery?

The Ancient Greeks made pots from clay. Potters from Corinth and Athens used a special watery mixture of clay to paint their pots while the clay was still soft. After it was baked in the kiln, the sections of the pot they had painted with the clay would turn black, while the rest of the pot was red-brown.

What is the difference between red and black figure pottery?

Red-figure is essentially the reverse of black figure: the background is filled in with a fine slip and has a black colour after firing, while the figures are reserved. Details are added using fine brushes instead of through incision, allowing the artists to add a greater level of detail to their art.

How did ancient Greeks fire pottery?

Pottery in ancient Greece, as elsewhere, was fired in a specially-made ceramic kiln. The average ceramic kiln in ancient Greece had a diameter of 1.3 meters, or about 4.25 feet (2). To fire a kiln, fuel was burned at the entrance of a stoking chamber.

Was Ajax a Greek or Trojan?

Ajax is a mythological hero in Greek legend. He is also known as Ajax the Greater. He was a son of Telamon, who was the king of Salamis. Ajax is described in Homer’s Iliad as a man of great stature and colossal frame, second to the Greek hero Achilles in strength and bravery.