Kylix; Greece, Attica, 5th century BC. Ceramics. It has

Kylix; Greece, Attica, 5th century BC.
Ceramic.
Thermoluminescence certificate.
Measurements: 7.5 cm x 14.5 cm (diameter).
As for the typology of the piece, it should be noted that the kylyx, kylix or chylyx, is a typical form of classical Greek pottery, similar to a chalice or enochus, used for drinking wine. It has a shallow, wide body with two opposite handles. The flat circular base gives way to a globular body decorated with a black engobe, except for the central part of the body, which is defined by a wide band that exposes the colour of the pottery and is in turn decorated with black figures. The figurative ornamentation is defined by the representation of a semi-recumbent figure, flanked by two large palmettes, each on one side. The appreciable characteristics of the protagonist, the appearance of the palmettes and the functionality of the piece suggest that it may be a representation of the god of wine.
The piece we present here shows a figurative decoration made using the black-figure technique, based on the use of a transparent varnish which, when fired, acquired an intense, shiny black hue. The motifs were therefore invisible before firing, which meant that the painters had to work entirely from memory, unable to see their previous work. Once the piece was fired, the unglazed areas remained with the reddish hue of the clay, while the glazed, "painted" areas took on a dense, glossy black colour. The black-figure technique was introduced in Corinth around 700 BC and was adopted by Attic artists in the Orientalising period (725-625 BC), and was used to make all types of pottery, then considered to be the best and highly prized by the upper classes. This was the beginning of the great series of black-figure ceramics, which had its main centre in Athens and lasted until the beginning of the 5th century BC. The value placed on these works made them the subject of a flourishing trade and industry. Pottery painters and the masters who made the pieces in clay were highly esteemed in ancient Greece, and works in both the black-figure and red-figure techniques were created throughout the Mediterranean, both in Greek cities of population and foundation and in the potteries of those peoples who had contact with these same centres.