154
TEN
ARTISTS’ SIGNATURES ON ARCHAIC
GREEK VASES FROM ATHENS
Sarah Bolmarcich and Georgina Muskett
The quest to deine individual, artistic personalities in ancient Greek art
is not new; a large number of books and articles on the subject exist. This
chapter, however, focuses on a particular type of evidence related to the
“individual” in ancient Greek art: the craftsman’s signature. While discussions of signatures in mosaic, on statue bases, or in other media have borne
interesting fruit, in this study we will focus on signatures found on Athenian
pottery.1 As a body of evidence Attic pottery is preserved in substantial
quantities, is well-recorded, and represents a discrete data set. By setting
these parameters, we hope to be better able to answer the questions of why
Attic vases in particular were signed and what these signatures may suggest
about the role of the individual craftsman in Greek art and history. While
the incomplete nature of the archaeological record must render tentative
any conclusions drawn on the basis of the number of signatures preserved,
we do believe that enough evidence exists to allow us to suggest trends
and to ofer some conclusions, however speculative, about signed Athenian
pottery.
Thus, our aims in the present chapter are twofold. First, we will present
a current consideration of artists’ signatures, those of both painters and potters, which appear on Athenian pottery from the early sixth century to the
mid-fourth century b.c.e. Second, we will explore why signatures appeared
on vases at all, and why it was appropriate (and possible) for an individual to
express his identity in this manner in the irst place.2
154
155
ARTI STS’ SI GNAT U R E S O N A R CHA I C GR E E K VAS E S F R O M ATH E N S
HISTORY OF SIGNED VASES
The Database
Using Immerwahr’s fundamental Corpus of Attic Vase Inscriptions (CAVI), we
have compiled a database of 1039 signatures. This small corpus of signatures is
vital to our attempt to isolate and examine the material evidence related to
ancient individuals.3 While several dozen non-Attic signatures are known (and
to which we will make occasional reference), we have limited our database, for
the purposes of this study, to Attic vases.4 We have also added signed vases missing from CAVI to our catalogue and have corrected a number of Immerwahr’s
errors and duplications with the hopes that our database will be valuable to
scholars working on the study of signatures on Attic pottery.5
Potters and Painters
Generally a painter signed his name followed by some form of the verb
“painted” (ἔγραψεν, or egrapsen), while a potter (or the painter signing for him)
used the verb “made” (ἐποίησεν, or epoiesen).6 The subject of epoiesen could
indicate the person who made the vessel or under whose direction it was
made, or the name of the manager of a workshop.7 Often these inscriptions
occur alone, at other times with an egrapsen inscription. Egrapsen or megrapsen
(μἐγραψεν) might have indicated “created the original design” and/or “drew.”
The same person might sign as both potter and painter, although this is rare.8
At other times, it is clear that potter and painter were diferent persons and
one or both of them signed distinctly, as on the famous François Vase; without the presence of signatures, it would be tempting to identify potter and
painter as the same individual.9 Signatures also permit reconstruction of the
personnel active in Athenian pottery workshops and emphasize the close family links within the workshops. The trade of potter (and occasionally painter)
can pass from father to son, although no other relationships are noted.10 The
most striking example of this phenomenon is the family of Nearchos; he was
an accomplished potter and painter as indicated by his signature as both painter and potter on a kantharos fragment.11 Two slightly later potters, the highly
proliic Tleson and Ergoteles, proudly sign themselves “son of Nearchos,”
suggesting they were brothers.12 Other “dynasties” of potters include the families of Nikias and Amasis, with occasional instances of other patronymics.
The most remarkable instance of a family of potters extends three generations, and includes Ergotimos, his son Eucheiros, and an anonymous grandson,
who signs one vessel as “son of Eucheiros.”13 The only surviving instance of a
painter who used a patronymic in his signature was Euthymides, although his
father, Pollias, is not irmly known as either painter or potter. (It is possible,
155
156
156
SARAH B O L M A R CI CH A N D G E O R GI N A MU S K E TT
however, that Euthymides’ father may have been the sculptor Pollias, who was
responsible for several statue bases found on the Athenian Akropolis, where
an individual named “Polias” dedicated a painted clay plaque attributed to
Euthymides.)14 Family traditions in the craft are known as late as the second
half of the fourth century. Two potters named Kittos and Bakchios, known
from a later fourth century inscription in Ephesos, are named as the sons of
Bakchios, who is known from a funerary inscription as a prize-winning potter; the similarity of names makes it plausible that all three were members of
the same family.15 In addition to family associations, Neer’s study of “potterportraits” and inscriptions naming painters and potters within the early-ifthcentury circle of “Pioneers” in Athens also allows the discussion of potential
working relationships.16 Neer suggests two groupings/workshops, one including Euphronios, Smikros and Kachrylion, and another, Euthymides, Sosias
and Phintias.17 In addition, Cohen has noted a possible link among Oltos,
Euphronios and Euxitheos.18 Not all known painters or potters signed all their
work, of course, and some seem never to have signed their vases at all.
It should also be noted that even when multiple vases in the oeuvre of a
painter or potter are signed, they need not necessarily be signed by the same
person. Hands can vary widely within an artist’s body of work, both in signatures and in other types of vase inscriptions.19 The variations are obvious, even
to the untrained eye. The signatures of Sakonides, for instance, are not all by
the same hand.20 Likewise, the signatures of Pamphaios vary widely from cup
to cup.21 Immerwahr suggests that the person responsible for the signature
may not even be the potter, as orthodoxy holds, but rather the painter, who
may have been copying models for his inscriptions.22 If Immerwahr is correct
that signatures were painted from models provided to the artists, it suggests
that potters or painters and their workshop had a great deal of control over
what they chose to present on their pot and, perhaps, how much efort they
expended in meeting market forces. This would be particularly true of potters
whose work is usually signed, such as Nikosthenes, Tleson, and Pamphaios, all
of whom had a large presence in Etruria. While this particular issue cannot
be explored in depth here, at minimum the lack of consistency among artists’
hands and the fact that not all works of a particular artist were signed demonstrate the innate mutability of signatures. There is much that we cannot know.
Chronology
From the time of the adoption of the Phoenician alphabet in Greece in the
eighth century b.c.e., pottery was a vehicle for text.23 The earliest known Attic
inscription is a graito on an oinochoe found in the Dipylon cemetery in
Athens.24 Signatures appear later in the Archaic period, becoming common in
Athens only after the mid-sixth century. Their use continues throughout the
157
ARTI STS’ SI GNAT U R E S O N A R CHA I C GR E E K VAS E S F R O M ATH E N S
Table 10.1. Chronological Breakdown of Signed Vases
600
400
200
5
32
0
0–
35
5–
37
37
0–
40
35
5
0
40
5
42
5–
42
0
0–
45
5–
47
47
0–
50
45
5
0
50
5
52
5–
52
0
0–
55
55
5–
57
60
0–
57
5
0
Number of Signed Vases
Classical period until the early fourth century, after which only a few vessels
were signed.
The earliest known painted inscription with a signature appears on a bowl
dating from 720 to 700 b.c.e., found at Pithecusae on Ischia. As will be discussed later, the signature is clearly part of the decoration.25 The earliest extant
signed Attic vases, both the work of Sophilos and using both the verbs egrapsen
(ἔγραψεν) and epoie (ἐποίε), date from 600 to 575 b.c.e.26 The practice quickly
caught on. From 575 to 500 b.c.e., CAVI lists thirty such vases. It would
appear, then, that Attic vase painters and potters may have come later to the
idea of signing their wares than did non-Attic artists.
As time passed, the practice of signing one’s work became increasingly popular among Attica’s vase painters and potters. Table 10.1 demonstrates this.
From two signatures between 600 and 575 b.c.e., and thirty between 575
and 550 b.c.e., the numbers soar to 449 between 550 and 525 b.c.e. After that,
a slow decline begins from 525 to 500 b.c.e., when there are 252 signed pottery vessels known, to 500 to 475 b.c.e., from which period 172 signed vases
are extant. After 475 b.c.e., a very steep decline begins, with thirty-six vases
from 475 to 450 b.c.e., twelve from 450 to 425 b.c.e., ifteen from 425 to 400
b.c.e., two from 400 to 375 b.c.e., and one each in the periods 375–350 b.c.e.
and 350–325 b.c.e. Even given the fragmentary nature of the evidence, the
trend is a powerful one: artists who signed their work did so almost entirely in
the Archaic period.
Find-spots
Only about half the extant signed Attic vases have a secure provenance. Table
10.2 gives a short breakdown of ind-spots for Greek vases throughout the
Mediterranean and Black Sea regions. Of the 568 vases with known ind-spots,
71 percent, or 405, were found in Italy, Sicily, and the Western Mediterranean;
157
158
158
SARAH B O L M A R CI CH A N D G E O R GI N A MU S K E TT
Table 10.2. Known ind-spots of signed vases (see also Appendix A)
Area
Total
Mainland Greece
Athens/Attica/Euboia/Saronic Gulf
Italy, Sicily, and Points West
Etruria
Italy (excluding Etruria)
Sicily
Western Europe
Aegean Islands (excluding Ionia)
Egypt and Northern Africa
Naukratis
Ionia, Asia Minor, and the Black Sea Region
Overall
132
115
405
359
34
11
1
14
18
14
9
568
all but 46 of those (63 percent of vases with known ind-spots) came from
Etruria.27 Appendix A ofers a more complete list of ind-spots with breakdowns by city or site as well as region.
Athenian motives for exporting signed vases to Etruria will be discussed
below. Large numbers of signed Attic vases were found in Etruria, at Cerveteri,
Vulci, Orvieto, Tarquinia, and Chiusi, most often in tombs.28 It should be
remembered, however, that Greek painted pottery found in Etruria was not
necessarily produced solely for the tomb; for instance, an extremely large cup,
dedicated by an Etruscan, was found in a sanctuary to the Dioskouroi.29
ASPECTS OF SIGNED VASES
Economic/Historical
From Tables 10.1 and 10.2, it is clear that a “typical” signed Attic vase is likely to
have been created between 550 and 525 and was probably discovered in Etruria.
While non-Attic signed vases are far fewer in number than those produced in
Athens, the typical non-Attic signed vase will fall into one of two groups: earlier, seventh- and eighth-century vases, usually found not in mainland Greece
but in the Aegean islands or the Greek colonies in Sicily and Magna Graecia, or
later, sixth-century vases, typically Boiotian or Corinthian, with the Boiotian
vases typically found within Boiotia itself, and usually in a religious context.30
The presence of two such distinct groups among non-Attic vases may shed
some light on signatures on Attic vases. Most non-Attic vases of the irst group
pre-date the beginning of signatures on Attic vases ca. 600; most of those in the
second group post-date the irst signed Attic vases by several decades. Inluence
is hard to determine but, as noted above, later Corinthian vases may have
been inluenced by the reception of signed Attic vases. Whether the earliest
159
ARTI STS’ SI GNAT U R E S O N A R CHA I C GR E E K VAS E S F R O M ATH E N S
non-Attic vases inluenced the signatures on Attic vases is much more diicult
to determine, but we submit that they do ofer an interesting look into the
economics of signed Attic pots.
Several of these earlier non-Attic vases are found in Sicilian colonies, particularly the Euboian colonies and Megara Hyblaea, i.e., they are Chalcidian
and Doric in origin – also the origin of many of the Greek colonies in Sicily
and Magna Graecia. Athens, famously, did not colonize in the West, and may
only have founded some very small colonies for trade purposes in the East.
The motives for Greek colonization are much debated, but economic motivations were certainly important. Perhaps the Athenians sought to make up
for their deicit in colonization by extending their trade networks as far as
possible and embracing locally attractive commodities like signed vases.31
Overall, in the Sicilian and Italian Greek colonies, very few signed Attic
vases have been found: only eleven in Sicily as a whole and ten among the
Greek colonies in Italy. Other sites in Italy where signed Attic vases have
been found may have acquired them via Etruria, and this may be true of
the Greek colonies as well. The number of vases found is so scanty that it
seems the Athenians may not have found a Western market for them outside
of Etruria. The lack of signed vases from the Black Sea area, an area in which
the Athenians also had a signiicant economic (if not colonial) presence,
suggests that they may well have focused on Etruria as a market for speciic
goods, i.e., signed vases.
Attic vases began to be exported in large quantities from Attica around
600.32 The best market for them was clearly Etruria. While Beazley believes
that the Etruscan market and its interests did not inluence Attic vases in any
way, Spivey has examined why Attic vases appealed so much to the Etruscans,
and has argued that it was largely because of their subject matter, e.g., symposia,
a subject that is also relected in wall-paintings in Etruscan tombs.33 This does
not, as Spivey points out, mean that Attic vase painters speciically tailored
the scenes on their vases to their Etruscan clientele (as Nikosthenes adapted
his vase shapes for the Etruscans), only that the two cultures shared a fondness for similar iconography. Other scholars hold that that Attic and Etruscan
culture simply had similar, parallel interests, while Lewis takes Spivey’s argument even further by suggesting that the Etruscan market actually determined
the Attic product.34 We believe that the high incidence of signatures on Attic
vases in Etruria indicated the desires of that particular market. If the Etruscan
market also appeared interested in particular vase-shapes, and painters like the
Codrus Painter targeted Etruria, it is not a stretch to think they might also be
especially interested in inscribed vases.35
Perhaps painters and potters used their names as a kind of brand mark, a sign
of quality. But not all artists signed their vessels. Makers’ or owners’ marks are
also visible on a number of the vases. Little is known of the Etruscan language,
159
160
160
SARAH B O L M A R CI CH A N D G E O R GI N A MU S K E TT
10.1. Black-igure lip-cup, signed by Phrynos as potter. London, British Museum B 424.
Photo: © Trustees of the British Museum.
but the Archaic Etruscan alphabet employed a version of the Greek alphabet.
Although the two languages difered, Greek letters would not have been unfamiliar to Etruscan audiences.36 An Etruscan looking at a Greek vase might
not be able to read the artist’s signature, but he would be able to recognize
that it was an inscription. Etruscan art generally does not display inscriptions,
so the Greek inscriptions may have been novel and especially appealing to
the market. In fact, of all the vases in the database, 268 have other writing on
them beyond an artist’s signature, most commonly kalos inscriptions (which
praised the beauty of a youth), captions identifying igures in the scene, or
nonsense-inscriptions. One hundred twenty-two signed vases with at least one
additional inscription on them beyond the signature were found in Etruria.
Twelve of the twenty-two vases with nonsense-inscriptions were found in
Etruria.37 This suggests that, to some degree, the signature may have simply
been regarded as a part of the decoration of a vase.
Two facts support this. One is that many signed vases do not have elaborate
painted scenes, but simply a potter’s signature. Usually, these are kylikes, in
which the signature is placed in the handle zones, thus creating a primitive
“design” (cf. Fig. 10.1). Kalos and nonsense inscriptions are also found with the
same placement on cups. Although these plain cups do not ofer representations of the symposiastic scenes so beloved by the Etruscans, the shape of the
vessel belongs to the world of feasting celebrated in Etruscan tomb paintings.
This, combined with a presumed Etruscan inability to read the inscriptions,
suggests that the Etruscans, while interested in the scenes the vases represented,
might also have been interested in the signatures as a facet of vase design.
161
ARTI STS’ SI GNAT U R E S O N A R CHA I C GR E E K VAS E S F R O M ATH E N S
There is a steep drop in signed vases after 475 and the end of the Persian
Wars, a decline that was relected in regional pottery imports in general.38 This
may be due to events in Etruria. In ca. 500 b.c.e., Etruscan dominance of the
northern Italian peninsula began to fade, giving way to the Greek colonies of
southern Italy and Rome. It may be that when the major market for signed
vases began to vanish, so too did interest in them at Athens. Although it has
been suggested earlier that other signed vases in the West came to their ultimate destinations via Etruria, and there are a fair number of signed Attic vases
found in Attica itself, it seems probable that Etruria was the major market
for signed vases. With its political and economic decline, Athenian vase artists
slowly began to abandon the practice of signing their wares.
ARTISTIC APPROACH
Particular Types of Signed Vases
Signatures are found on Athenian vessels with all forms of surface treatment: black-igure, red-igure, and occasionally white-ground, as well as
monochrome vessels. Signatures are usually painted, although incised signatures are also found.39 The vessel shapes of dinoi, kraters, pelikai and amphorae
lent themselves perfectly to displaying signatures when the vessel was in use,
whether in a practical sense, or displayed as an ofering in a sanctuary or tomb.
Indeed, a particular shape’s ability to display a signature may be among the
reasons very early kraters and dinoi – speciically – where signed in the irst
place (Fig. 10.2).40 Signatures can also be well displayed on all variations of
amphorae, usually appearing on the body (sometimes twice), but occasionally
on the neck or foot of the vessel. Some Panathenaic amphorae were signed,
with nine extant examples in the database, from throughout the period of
production of this type of vessel (Fig. 10.3). A very early example, dating to
560–550 b.c.e., signed in a very prominent location on the shoulder, is the
only known instance of Nikias’s signature without a patronymic, and perhaps
indication of a special nature of this commission.41 There are almost eighty
signed Nikosthenic amphorae, the majority of which are decorated in the
black-igure technique and signed by Nikosthenes as potter (Fig. 10.4), with
a few red-igure examples signed by Pamphaios as potter.42 If one function of
the signature was to increase the value of decorated pottery, then frequency of
signatures on many Nikosthenic amphorae and other vessels produced by his
workshop is not surprising.
The largest category of signed vessel includes cups of various types, although
the position of the signature varies enormously. As noted above, most characteristically, the inscription is in the handle zone, between a pair of palmettes,
sometimes with an additional motif in the lip zone, above the usual handle
161
162
10.2. Black-igure dinos, signed by Sophilos as painter. London British Museum 1971.11–1.1.
Photo: © Trustees of the British Museum.
10.3. Panathenaic amphora, signed by Nikodemos
as potter. J. Paul Getty Museum 93.AE.55.
Photo: J. Paul Getty Museum.
162
zone decoration (Fig. 10.1).43 Sometimes,
the painter has added an exhortation to
the user, such as Sakonides encouraging
the drinker to “rejoice and drink this”;
another cup signed by Phrynos as potter
greets the user on both sides of the vessel.44 The use of an inscription as an essential part of the overall design is also shown
by the occasional inclusion of a meaningless inscription, often termed a “nonsense inscription,” between the palmettes.
The most striking extant example of this
is a cup signed by Tlempolemos as potter, now in Berlin: on one handle zone is
a perfectly legible inscription that names
Tlempolemos as maker, while a nonsense
signature appears in the handle zone on
the opposite side of the vessel.45
Signatures on a cup’s foot are similarly
immediately visible, but do not impinge in
any way on the decoration of the vessel,
although, as Lissarague observes, the artistic efect of the signatures on two cups,
163
ARTI STS’ SI GNAT U R E S O N A R CHA I C GR E E K VAS E S F R O M ATH E N S
10.4. Black-igure Nikosthenic amphora, signed by Nikosthenes as potter. J. Paul Getty Museum
68.AE.19.
Photo: J. Paul Getty Museum.
clearly made as a pair, is enhanced by one of the signatures reading from left to
right whereas the other reads from right to left.46 In other cases, the signatures
were placed on parts of the vessel not normally visible when set on a lat surface, but clearly seen when the cup was either raised to the mouth for drinking
or suspended by one of its handles, either in domestic usage or as a dedication
in a sanctuary. Signatures beneath the handle are favored by several workshops,
such as that of Brygos (Fig. 10.5).47
HARMONY OR DISCORD?
A review of the entries in the database suggests that the incorporation of signatures into an overall artistic scheme was tackled with more success in some
workshops than it was in others. In some instances, the signature is an important design element and, to modern Western taste, provides an aesthetically
pleasing efect. The signatures are very carefully presented, with neat lettering
that does not detract from the painted scene. In the case of circular ields, such
as the tondo in the interior of a cup, or a plate, it is common for painters to
exploit the available area in a graceful and stylish manner by signing around
the central design. Excellent examples are found on plates signed by Epiktetos
as painter; typical examples depicting a satyr holding lutes and a banqueter
both exhibit signatures that are curved around the tondo.48 In the case of cups,
the signatures sometimes occur alone, with a kalos inscription, or with names
of characters. A good example is a cup on which Douris signs as painter on the
left-hand side of the tondo, with a kalos inscription on the right-hand side. In
this instance, the signature of the potter, Python, is relegated to the base.49 An
163
164
164
SARAH B O L M A R CI CH A N D G E O R GI N A MU S K E TT
10.5. Red-igure cup, signed by Brygos as potter. J. Paul Getty Museum 86.ΑΕ.293.
Photo: J. Paul Getty Museum.
inventive and amusing manner of signing a cup exterior is demonstrated by
Nikosthenes, who exploits the exterior design of several eye cups by adding his
signature as an additional eyebrow.50
Modern expectations might hold that the most pleasing artistic efect would
occur when the signature is kept clear of any painted scene, and does not
impinge on the overall composition. This is not always the case, however, as
exempliied by an amphora signed twice by Amasis as potter: on Side A, the
signature, together with the name of Dionysos, appears above a depiction of
the deity with two maenads, well clear of the main composition.51 On Side
B, the signature is placed between standing igures of Athena and Poseidon,
without disrupting the overall composition. On rare occasions, a signature
enhances the narrative, as is apparent in the case of a symposium scene in
which the signature of Epiktetos appears at the same level as the faces of the
symposiasts. The irst part of the name appears in front of the open mouth of
one of the men, whereas the rest of the signature appears split between the
faces of those present, giving an impression of the singing and talking in a
sympotic context.52
Accordingly, it is apparent that on many of the pots, the signature is an
integral part of the overall artistic conception, and perhaps an artistic genre
165
ARTI STS’ SI GNAT U R E S O N A R CHA I C GR E E K VAS E S F R O M ATH E N S
in itself, although this does not fully explain the reasons for the inclusion of
signatures.53
SIGNATURES AS EXPRESSIONS OF INDIVIDUALITY
The inclusion of signatures on Greek painted pottery could be motivated
by pride in an Attic potter or painter’s individual’s skill and artistry.54 In the
irst half of the fourth century, competition between potters is unequivocally
attested by the epitaph of the potter Bakchios, which indicates competitions
involving the decoration of pottery, plausibly Panathenaic amphorae.55 In addition to the use of signatures as advertisements, and to increase the value and
proitability of the vessels, signatures could also be viewed as a manifestation
of artistic expression as an integral element of Archaic Greek society. Even if
signatures sometimes refer to workshops rather than individuals, the fact that
the names of individuals appear on the ceramic vessels, rather than a collective
name, is signiicant.56 Our research suggests the existence of a large number
of signed vases depicting symposium scenes that could be interpreted as a
celebration of the owner’s success as an individual having achieved the status
necessary to participate in symposia. Accordingly, it would be understandable
that the person responsible for the vessel’s creation, whether painter or potter,
would wish to celebrate his individual achievement by including a signature.
Scenes that detail myths also celebrate the individual achievements of heroes
like Theseus, Heracles, or Peleus, or various divinities, again perhaps infusing
the artist with a desire to celebrate his own individuality.
Is there any concrete evidence of the expression of artistic identity? A small
corpus of extant signatures suggest that, in addition to the normal format for
signatures (discussed in more detail above), both painters and potters occasionally emphasized artistic ownership of a particular vessel. An excellent example
is a signature by Euphronios – “Euphronios painted this” – on fragments of a
scene showing Herakles and the Nemean Lion.The painting of the head of the
lion is a true tour de force, and seems to fully justify the emphatic nature of the
signature.57 In addition, the form of other signatures that declare “Exekias –”
or “Nearchos made me well” indicates that some painters believed that their
own vessels were either made or painted in an accomplished manner.”58 Neer
suggests that some inscriptions by Kachrylion and Epilykos may be signatures
expressing pride rather than kalos names; we would add a further example by
Epilykos.59
A famous inscription on an amphora, signed by Euthymides as potter, translated as “As never Euphronios” (hὸς οὐδέποτε Εὐφρόνιος) is an excellent, if
unusual, expression of identity.60 If interpreted as meaning that Euthymides’s
achievement surpassed anything Euphronios was capable of, it is a perfect illustration of a celebration of the accomplishment of an individual painter, or an
165
166
166
SARAH B O L M A R CI CH A N D G E O R GI N A MU S K E TT
individual workshop.61 Although this interpretation is attractive, it may not be
correct. As Vickers and Gill observe, the inscription, on the opposite side of the
vessel from the maker’s signature, may not be a continuation of the signature,
but rather might be part of a more general dialogue among the three men
depicted on this side of the pot. Accordingly, it is plausible that the Euphronios
named on the vessel was not the same individual as the known painter and
potter. In this case, the inscription may not necessarily be an indication of
rivalry between individual artisans or workshops. Perhaps the three men represent a meta-audience discussing the quality of vase-painting?62
A further manifestation of individual identity are “potter-portraits,” seemingly a phenomenon of the late sixth century, which assign the names of
attested painters and potters to individual igures on eight known vessels.63
Only one of the images is a self-portrait, a igure named as “Smikros” on a
vessel signed by Smikros as painter. As Neer observes, the positioning of the
igure and inscription leaves no ambiguity in the association.64 Further, nine
inscriptions on vessels, including the amphora discussed above that bears the
inscription “As never Euphronios,” name painters (all working in the redigure technique) and potters generally known as “The Pioneers.”65 None of
the painters and potters is actually depicted, but the symposiasts depicted on
the vessels appear to be hailing them.66 It should be noted, however, that very
little is known about the social status of the painters and potters, the exception
being a vessel on which Lydos adds the information that he is a slave.67
It remains to be considered whether a signature necessarily corresponds to
an individual hand or whether it denotes the name of the workshop owner
(or owners) or the main artisan responsible for the vessel. Comparisons with
artistic works produced in much more recent times can be of great assistance
here, although it should be noted that such approaches do not take account
of the diferent ways in which Greek painted pottery was used within ancient
Athenian society.68 Nevertheless, analogies between workshop practices in
societies separated by time might be valid. The application of this approach to
ancient Greek art is not new. Several scholars have used paintings dating from
the early Italian Renaissance and Northern European paintings of the same
date to further their research. Furthermore, attribution studies have traditionally followed the same framework as those used for attributing unsigned works
of the Italian Renaissance.69 Accordingly, comparison with the workshops of
the late ifteenth century c.e. might be able to shed light on the subject of
epoiesen (ἐποίησεν), which, as previously indicated, could indicate the person
who made the vessel, the person under whose direction it was made, or the
name of the manager of a workshop. Artistic developments in the late ifteenth century c.e. saw a new emphasis on the individual artist rather than
on the materials used in the commission.70 The earliest attested example of
this is a contract signed by Filippino Lippi, which speciied that he would
167
ARTI STS’ SI GNAT U R E S O N A R CHA I C GR E E K VAS E S F R O M ATH E N S
paint frescos himself rather than assigning the work to one of his workshop
assistants; previous contracts did not indicate the individual artist who would
actually undertake the work.71 Additionally, it should be noted that modern
artistic signatures do not always refer to an individual artist. For example, in
the workshops of several “old masters,” the individual who signed the work
undertook the most skilled aspects of a commission, leaving the more junior
members of the workshop to undertake background areas. Parallels may be
drawn with practices in the Italian Renaissance. Raphael’s popularity in Rome
in the early part of the sixteenth century led to many commissions which he
was only able to fulil by employing assistants, and by delegating the mechanical transfer of inished cartoons to walls or panels.72 More recently, artists such
as Andy Warhol, Jef Koons, and Damien Hirst have worked within extensive
studios, where works were and are undertaken with the help of assistants completing the inal designs.73
Another crucial aspect of this discussion relates to chronology. The earliest known signed vessels were decorated with extremely complex narrative
scenes, accompanied by a large number of named characters. But signatures
could allow artists to lay claim to other innovations. For example, Exekias
is credited with being the irst potter to develop the Type A amphora, and
the reason for the double signature as painter and potter on the vessel in the
Vatican Museums showing Ajax and Achilles playing dice could be one of several: to claim “ownership” of the new shape; to claim “ownership” of the scene
showing Ajax and Achilles dicing, which was not drawn from any known literary source (the composition is so striking that it was imitated by several other
painters); to show pride in his expertise with the burin, since the incision on
the vessel is a real tour de force.74
Turning to the non-Greek viewers of Greek painted pottery – the Etruscan
élite who acquired these vessels – the desire of individuals to associate themselves with the material culture of a society that is perceived to be exotic
and accordingly desirable is by no means restricted to sixth- and early-ifthcentury Etruria. Indeed, there are more recent parallels for the use of “nonsense” inscriptions on pottery, which were never designed to be read by the
owner or viewer of the vessel, but were seemingly added to enhance the overall aesthetic efect and add to the exotic nature of the item. Such an instance
can be seen in the production of Chinese pottery imitations by Delft potteries
during the mid-seventeenth century c.e. fueled by the disruption of exports
from China because of civil war. Several Delftware factories were involved in
the production of this style of pottery, producing a variety of shapes in which
panels of either igured or loral designs alternated with panels with imitations
of Chinese characters. One such example is a candlestick, imitating the typical shape of a Dutch candlestick of the period, made at the Delftware factory
De Grieksche A between 1680 and 1690.75 On this example, typical loral
167
168
168
SARAH B O L M A R CI CH A N D G E O R GI N A MU S K E TT
motifs copied from Chinese porcelain appear either side of panels containing imitations of Chinese characters. The entire raison d’être for the Chineseinspired Delftwares was the desire of the local population in the Netherlands
for Chinese porcelain, a desire that might be similar to the Etruscan population’s desire for Attic pottery. Additionally, we would suggest that the practice of combining an existing local shape with Chinese exotica presents a
strong analogy to the production of the workshop of Nikosthenes, which used
local Etruscan shapes decorated with exotic Athenian iconography and script,
although the latter sometimes consists of mere imitations of Greek characters
and, accordingly, is meaningless.76
CONCLUSIONS
One key to understanding the motives underlying the use of signatures on
Greek painted pottery is taking a holistic approach to the topic, and evaluating
the myriad factors that have been preserved in the archaeological and historical record. Our research indicates that there is some evidence to support the
use of signatures as important elements in the decorative schemes of vessels.
Indeed, in the case of lip cups, a signature, or other form of inscription, was
an integral part of the decoration. As we see in any overview of the artistic
output of a society over the course of one hundred and ifty years (restricted to
one medium), marked variations occur in the degree of artistic and technical
skill exhibited in design and calligraphy respectively. This seems to contradict
the opinion that the purpose of a signature was to express pride in the vessel.
While this is apparent in many cases, we have also noted the presence of signatures on work which is less than careful. This argument certainly does not
explain the presence of unsigned vessels displaying a high degree of artistic and
technical expertise, whether in terms of design or execution.
Accordingly, there is an argument to be made that signatures were added
purely as incentives to customers. The large numbers of vessels signed by
Nikosthenes and Pamphaios might suggest that Athenian pottery workshops
were driven by a desire to cater primarily to an export market, where the
consumers would pay more for a signed vessel.77 But this conclusion can be
queried on two counts: irstly, many vessels produced by Nikosthenes and his
associates were not signed, but were attributed on stylistic grounds; and secondly, many non-signed vessels of unquestionably high quality, such as many
works attributed to the highly talented, but resolutely anonymous, Berlin
Painter, were found in Etruscan contexts, perhaps indicating that a signature
was an “optional extra,” whether it was ordered by a customer, or used as
a marketing ploy overseas. Added to this, as noted above, it is apparent that
the Etruscan market was in decline itself from the start of the ifth century,
with associated problems in Athens. Plague in 430–429 would have led to a
169
ARTI STS’ SI GNAT U R E S O N A R CHA I C GR E E K VAS E S F R O M ATH E N S
general depletion of population, including artisans employed in the pottery
workshops.78 In addition, a number of potters left Athens for workshops at a
variety of sites, including Thurii, Taras, Olympia, and Corinth.79 This trend
would almost certainly have been more noticeable during the Peloponnesian
Wars, which would have impeded shipments of pottery from Athens.80 The
primary cause of the decline would have been the weakness of the Etruscan
market, which was already experiencing a notable decline in imports and
exports by the late ifth century.Yet these events may have afected the production of signed vases as well, since there is strong evidence that a combination of
events resulted in a general decline in the production of high-quality igured
ware in Athens.81 This might be relected in the rise of workshops in the Greek
colonies of southern Italy and Sicily, which prior to 450–425 had imported
red-igure pottery from Athens, but thereafter began to make their own.82
If painters and potters, particularly Nikosthenes and Pamphaios, were primarily motivated to add signatures to their wares by a spirit of entrepreneurship, there were certainly other individuals and workshops with diferent
motives. High-quality pottery bearing a signature gives great pleasure to the
owner, who has undoubtedly paid a high price for the vessel, and indicates his
sophisticated artistic tastes. This would apply to a broader audience than just
the Athenian owners of signed vessels who would have been knowledgeable
about the myths and legends displayed on the pot or would have understood
its use it in the symposium, or both. If such a vessel were owned and viewed
by an Etruscan, he might be particularly keen to acquire vessels decorated
with images which would serve in his own society; the addition of the exotic
elements of inscriptions (including signatures) would be a means of indicating
the family’s ability to forge contacts, even if purely economic, outside Etruria.
The Etruscan clients’ seeming preference for the use of signed vessels, particularly cups decorated with symposium scenes, can be interpreted in two
primary ways.
First, such vessels represent the normal output of Athenian workshops.
Their survival in Etruscan tombs as opposed to domestic contexts in Athens,
Attica, and the Greek colonies is an inevitable consequence of their diferential
preservation in the archaeological record. The preponderance of cups is easily explained by the production of “drinking sets” for symposia, i.e., a single
krater accompanied by a correspondingly larger number of cups. Indeed, the
discovery of sets of cups that bear the same maker’s marks suggests the production of batches of vessels exported together.83
Second, symposium scenes are a relection of the banquets depicted on the
walls of Etruscan tombs. Accordingly, the iconography would have a strong
relevance to the Etruscan users of the vessels, although they probably would
not be able to read and understand the signatures, nor appreciate the meaning
and signiicance of the kalos inscriptions or the named individuals.
169
170
170
SARAH B O L M A R CI CH A N D G E O R GI N A MU S K E TT
The question remains as to whether signatures represent the name of the
person who was actually undertaking the work, or whether the “artistic personality” that was preserved was the “master” potter or painter who owned the
workshop. Parallels with later practice suggest that the latter might be the case,
at least in terms of the more routine elements of decoration, which could be
applied mechanically.84 This does not detract from the value of the study of
signatures, however, and the holistic approach taken here indicates that signatures on Greek vases can shed much light on the production and distribution
of these important artistic products.
APPENDIX A: KNOWN FIND- SPOTS FOR SIGNED GREEK VASES
Place
Number found
Total
Mainland Greece
132 (6)
132
Athens
Akropolis
Agora
Cape Kolias
Kerameikos
Piraeus
Stadiou St.
Theater of Dionysos
Attica (incl. Euboia, Aigina)
Aigina
Aphaia Sanctuary
Brauron
Eleusis
Euboia
Chalkis
Eretria
Petreza
Vari
Velanideza
Corinth
Forum
N Cemetery
Delphi
Isthmia
Kavala
Menidi
Pharsalos
Tanagra
Thebes
Italy, Sicily, and Points West
98 (80)
2
11
1
1
1
1
1
17 (4)
2 (1)
1
1
5
2 (0)
1
1
1
1
1
4 (2)
1
1
2
2
1
1
1
5
1
405
405
Etruria
Adria
Bolsena
359 (17)
2
1
171
171
ARTI STS’ SI GNAT U R E S O N A R CHA I C GR E E K VAS E S F R O M ATH E N S
Place
Number found
Total
Bomarzo
Capua
Cerveteri
Chiusi
Eastern Etruria
Falerii
Marzabotto
Orvieto
Populonia
Tarquinia
Toscanella
Vulci
Italy
Cumae
Leporano
Locri
Nola
Olbia
Paestum
Poggio Sommaville
Rome
Saraceno
Sorrento
Suessula
Tarentum
Todi
Sicily
Agrigento
Gela
Himera
Megara Hyblaea
Selinus
Spain
Medellin, Badajoz
Aegean Islands (excluding Ionia)
1
10
78
16
1
3
1
27
2
20
1
179
34 (9)
2
2
2
3
1
1
1
2
1
2
1
5
2
11
3
5
1
1
1
1
1
14
14
Marion, Cyprus
Rheneia
Rhodes
Camiros
Ialysos
Lindos
Samothrace
Thasos
Egypt and Northern Africa
4
1
4
2
1
1
2
2
18
18
Egypt
Naukratis
Saqqara
16 (1)
14
1
(continued)
172
172
SARAH B O L M A R CI CH A N D G E O R GI N A MU S K E TT
Appendix A (continued)
Place
Number found
Meroe
Cyrene
Teucheira
Ionia, Asia Minor, and the Black Sea Region
1
1
1
9
Asia Minor (excluding Ionia)
Gordion
Sardes
Tralles
Turkey
Black Sea
Berezan
Kerch
Leuke
Ionia
Old Smyrna
Samos
Overall
4
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
2
1
1
Total
9
568
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank the stafs of the British and Fitzwilliam Museums for allowing us
the opportunity for private study of the vases. The University of Texas at
Austin generously funded Bolmarcich’s research work at these museums and
the Research Fund of the School of Archaeology, Classics, and Egyptology at
the University of Liverpool kindly granted funds to Muskett for the rights to
reproduce Figs. 10.3–10.5. Sophie Padel-Imbaud (Louvre, Paris) and Cornelia
Weber-Lehmann (Ruhr Universität, Bochum) kindly clariied some details for
our database. The Getty Museum and the British Museum granted the rights
to use Figs. 10.1–10.5. All errors that remain are ours.
NOTES
1
2
3
4
5
For example, signatures in mosaic: Martin (Chapter 5) this volume, with bibliography.
Signatures on statue bases: Keesling 2003a, with bibliography. Signatures on coins: Paford
(Chapter 6) this volume, with bibliography.
Osborne (2009 and 2010) has recently presented research on signatures on sculpture
and painted pottery. Our research was conducted and completed without knowledge of
Osborne’s research; our conclusions remain unchanged.
Vickers and Gill (1994, 159) calculate that signatures appear on less than 1 percent of all
known vessels.
See Wachter 2001, 9–17, 29–30, 142–143, 168–169, 171–172, 201, 211, 279. An important
caveat, of course, is that CAVI (by Immerwahr’s own admission, see 1998–2001, 2348) is
incomplete.That said, CAVI does remain the most comprehensive catalogue of vase inscriptions available and it provides a good basis for our work here.
E.g., the database enabled rapid identiication of possible links between a potter and several
painters. Scholars requiring access to the database should contact the authors of this chapter.
173
ARTI STS’ SI GNAT U R E S O N A R CHA I C GR E E K VAS E S F R O M ATH E N S
6 There is only one instance of the verb “potted,” a black-igure dish with a stand from
Peristeri in Attica, which is signed as potted and painted by Oikopheles, Oxford, Ashmolean
Museum AN G.243 (V.189).
7 Robertson (1992, 4) prefers the term “epoiesen inscriptions” rather than “potter signatures.”
Although the former takes account of the two possible interpretations of “epoiesen,” in this
article we have opted to use the traditional term “potter signatures.”
8 E.g., two known vessels signed by Exekias as painter and potter: 1. Black-igure neck
amphora showing Herakles and the Nemean lion, from Vulci, Berlin 1720; 2. Black-igure Type A amphora showing Achilles and Ajax, from Vulci, Rome, Vatican Museums 344.
Similarly double-signed vessels are known for Nearchos, Epiktetos, Douris, and Myson.
9 François Vase: Black-igure volute krater showing a range of mythological scenes, from
Chiusi, Florence, Museo Archaeologico Nazionale 4290. Signatures: Cf. Hemelrijk 1991,
253–254, who cites the cases of Hieron and Makron, and Python and Douris.
10 Compare Hemelrijk 1991, 255–256.The corpus of signatures on painted pottery is extremely
valuable in this respect, as other evidence to enable the reconstruction of family relationships
of painters and potters is elusive, although Davies 1971, 28 notes that the potter Andokides
may have been a client of the better-known family.
11 Nearchos: Eight instances in the database. Kantharos fragment: Athens, National
Archaeological Museum i.611.
12 Tleson: An extraordinary total of one hundred and one signatures noted on the database.
Ergoteles: Three instances on the database, and two instances without the patronymic.
13 Nikias: On one instance, Nikias signs himself “son of Hermokles of the deme
Anaphylystios.” Amasis: Sixteen signatures noted on the database, with four signatures
by Kleophrades “son of Amasis.” Other patronymics: One signature by “Hieron son of
Medon”; the former should not be confused with the earlier, and much more proliic,
potter of the same name, and the latter is not recorded as either painter or potter. Indeed,
Robertson 1992, 152 regards the patronymic as suspect. Two signatures, both on early
Panatheniac amphorae, by Hypereides “son of Androgenos.” Ergotimos: Six deinite (and
one possible) instances of signatures as potter. Eucheiros: Three signatures as “son of
Ergotimos” (and two without the patronymic); a signature as “son of Ergotimos” is also
plausibly Eucheiros, but could be another brother.
14 Euthymides: Neils (Chapter 3) in this volume, with bibliography.
15 Robertson 1992, 293–294. See also Chronology, in this chapter.
16 Neer 2002, 92–93.
17 Workshop Grouping: Neer 2002, 92–93. Euphronios: Eight signatures as painter and twentyfour as potter on the database, including a red-igure cup from Vulci, Munich 2620, signed
by Euphronios as painter and Kachrylion as potter. Smikros: Three signatures as painter on
the database. Kachrylion: Thirty signatures as potter in the database. Euthymides: Five signatures as painter and three as potter on the database. Sosias: Two signatures as potter in the
database. Phintias: Four signatures as painter and ive as potter in the database.
18 Cohen 2004, 59, n.19.
19 Immerwahr 1990, 171.
20 Immerwahr 1990, 51.
21 Immerwahr 1984.
22 Immerwahr: Cook 1997, 245. Inscriptions: Immerwahr 1990, 174.
23 Signatures on vessels have attracted scholarly interest since the discovery of the irst signed
pottery vessel, a work of Taleides (signing as potter) found at Agrigento sometime before
1801c.e. (Black-igure amphora, New York, Metropolitan Museum 47.11.5). The corpus of
signatures has increased since then. Signatures are rare on non-Attic painted pottery. Indeed,
only two names of Corinthian pot painters have survived, Timonidas and Chares, the latter
serving as a prime example of signatures not being conined to works of technical excellence (Corinthian Pot Painters: Cook 1997, 244 also notes the signature of Milonidas, who
signed a plaque as painter.Timonidas: Wachter 2001, 55–57, no. COR27, lask from Kleonai,
173
174
174
SARAH B O L M A R CI CH A N D G E O R GI N A MU S K E TT
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
signed by Timonidas as painter. Chares: Wachter 2001, 70–71, no. COR57, pyxis, indspot
unknown, signed by Chares as painter). In addition, signatures were not popular in the redigure workshops in southern Italy active in the ifth and fourth centuries. Inscriptions on
South Italian red-igure are largely conined to the identiication of speciic igures on a
few pots. Only two South Italian painters, Asteas and Python, both working from Paestan
workshops, signed their wares.
Athens, National Archaeological Museum 192. Osborne and Pappas 2007, 133, ig. 5.1.
Osborne and Pappas 2007, 135–137, ig. 5.3.
Fragments of a black-igure krater, signed by Sophilos as potter, from Menidi, Athens,
National Archaeological Museum 2035.1, 2. Fragments of a black-igure dinos, signed by
Sophilos as painter, from the Athenian Akropolis, Athens, Akropolis i, 587.
The overall total number of Greek vases manufactured is, obviously, unknown. It is estimated that surviving Attic painted pottery represents about one-quarter of all pots made
(Johnston 1991, 208). Nor is the exact number of Attic vases found in Etruria known: over
3000 painted vases were found in the Vulci excavations of 1828–1829 (Cook 1997, 281),
but this is a small percentage of the original number in existence, as the excavation team
destroyed some of the vases to enhance the value of those that remained (Whitley 2001, 25).
Although this does not preclude an earlier domestic use; as Osborne (2001, 291) observes,
some of the pots found in Etruscan tombs show signs of repair, suggesting use in a domestic
context prior to their eventual funerary use.
Red-igure cup, signed by Oltos as painter and Euxitheos as potter, from Tarquinia,Tarquinia,
Museo Nazionale RC6848.
See Wachter 2001, 9–17, 29–30, 142–143, 168–169, 171–172, 201, 211, 279.
Salmon 2000.
Osborne 1996, 225.
Etruscan markets: Beazley 1989, 62; cf. Boardman 2001. Etruscan tombs: Spivey 1991. See
also Osborne 2001.
Other scholars: Arafat and Morgan 1994, 120; Isler-Kerenyi 2003, 40–47. Lewis: Lewis
2003. A prime example is the inclusion of women in symposium scenes on Attic vases
(188–190).
Arafat and Morgan 1994, 115–116; Osborne 2004, 78–79; Avramidou 2006: 566.
Bonfante 2002: 5, 14, 52.
A good example of a nonsense-inscription is on a cup signed by Xenokles from Orvieto. In
handle zone A is Xenokles’ signature; in handle zone B: Χεσνοιε(σ)ενο, a mock inscription
that combines Xenokles’ name and the verb ποιέω. Plain lip cup, New York, Metropolitan
Museum of Art 06.1021.155.
Arafat and Morgan 1994, 120–121.
Catalogued by Cohen 1991.
Krater: Fragments of a black-igure krater, signed by Sophilos as potter, from Menidi,
Athens, National Archaeological Museum 2035.1, 2. Dinoi: Fragments of a black-igure
dinos, signed by Sophilos as painter, from the Athenian Akropolis, Athens, Akropolis i, 587;
black-igure dinos with stand, signed by Sophilos as painter, ind-spot unknown, London,
British Museum 1971.11–1.1; fragment of a black-igure dinos, signed by Sophilos as painter,
from Pharsalos, Athens, National Archaeological Museum 15, 499.
Shoulder signature: Panathenaic amphora, signed by Nikias as potter, ind-spot unknown,
New York, Metropolitan Museum 1978.11.13. Nikias: A Nikias signs himself “son of
Hermokles of the deme Anaphlystios” and is plausibly the same individual.
Red-igure Nikosthenic amphorae, both signed by Pamphaios as potter, both from Etruria,
Paris, Louvre G 2 and G 3.
Palmettes: E.g., Black-igure lip-cup, signed by Nearchos as potter, ind-spot unknown,
New York, Metropolitan Museum 61.11.2. Lip zone: Black-igure lip-cup, signed
by Tleson, son of Nearchos, as potter, ind-spot unknown, New York, Metropolitan
Museum 56.171.34.
175
ARTI STS’ SI GNAT U R E S O N A R CHA I C GR E E K VAS E S F R O M ATH E N S
44 Sakonides: Black-igure lip-cup, signed by Sakonides as painter, from Vulci, Munich 2165.
Cup greeting the user: igure lip-cup, signed by Phrynos as potter, from Vulci, London,
British Museum B 424.
45 Black-igure lip-cup, signed by Tlempolemos as potter, from Vulci, Berlin, Staatliche
Museen 1763.
46 Decoration: E.g., fragmentary red-igure cup, signed by Kleophrades, son of Amasis, as
potter, from Tarquinia, Paris, Cabinet de Médailles 535. Lissarague: Lissarague 1994, 24–25.
Reading right to left: Red-igure cups, signed by Douris as painter and Python as potter,
from Cerveteri,Vienna 3694 and 3695.
47 E.g., red-igure cups, signed by Brygos as potter: 1. Find-spot unknown, Malibu
86.ΑΕ.293 (ig. 7); 2. From Cerveteri, Paris, Louvre G 151. 3. From Vulci, Paris, Louvre
G 152.
48 Satyr holding lutes: Red-igure plate, fromVulci, Paris, Cabinet de Médailles 509. Banqueter:
Red-igure plate, from Vulci, Paris, Cabinet de Médailles 510. For the importance of circular
frames in numismatic praxis, see Paford (Chapter 6) this volume.
49 Red-igure cup, indspot unknown, Paris, Louvre G 121.
50 Mask: Neer 2002, 41. Signature: E.g., black-igure eye cup, indspot unknown, Malibu
86.AE.170.
51 Black-igure amphora, from Vulci, Paris, Cabinet de Médailles 222.
52 Lissarague 1994, 15–16.
53 Cf. Sparkes 1991, 112.
54 For discussion of the use of the term “individual” in the context of Ancient Greek literature,
see the contributions to Pelling 1990, especially Gill’s discussion of “characterization” and
“personality” (Gill 1990, 2–9).
55 Pottery competitions: IG II2 6320. Robertson 1992, 293–294. Panathenaic amphorae:
Beazley 1943, 456–457. The only known example of a signature by Bakchios appears on a
Panathenaic amphora, Athens, Kerameikos PA 157.
56 A possible exception being Glaukytes and Archikles who both sign as potters on a blackigure band cup from Vulci, Munich 2243. A black-igure cup from Orvieto, Berlin 1801,
signed by both Anakles and Nikosthenes as potters is less secure; as the script is diferent
from other signatures by Anakles and Nikosthenes, Boardman suggests it may be an ancient
forgery (Boardman 1991a, 236).
57 Fragments of a red-igure calyx krater, indspot unknown, Paris, Louvre G 110. Described
in great detail by Neer 2002, 44–48.
58 Exekias: Black-igure lip cup, indspot unknown, signed in both handle zones by Exekias
as potter, Paris, Louvre F 54. Nearchos: Black-igure lip cup, indspot unknown, signed on
each side by Nearchos as potter, Bern. Excellent illustration of inscriptions, Jucker 1977,
pls.54.1–2 and 55.3–4.
59 Neer 2002, 243 n.175. Kachrylion: Red-igure cup, from Orvieto, signed by Kachrylion as
potter, Florence 91, 456. Epilykos: Red-igure cup, indspot unknown, signed by Epilykos
as painter, Paris, Louvre G 10. Epilykos further example: Fragments of a red-igure cup,
indspot unknown, signed by Epilykos as painter, Paris, Louvre G 12.
60 Red-igure amphora, signed by Euthymides as potter, from Vulci, Munich 2307. See also
Neils (Chapter 3) in this volume.
61 Neer 2002, 51.
62 On the debate, see Boardman 1975, 29–30, Vickers and Gill 1994, 98 and Neer 2002, 227,
n.74.
63 Potter portraits: Neer 2002, Chapter 3 passim. Eight known vessels: Catalogued by Neer
2002, 133.
64 Smikros: Red-igure stamnos, indspot unknown, Brussels, Musées Royaux A 717 and
New York, Metropolitan Museum 1985.60.1. Neer: Neer 2002, 89.
65 Inscriptions: Catalogued by Neer 2002, 89. “As never Euphronios”: Red-igure amphora,
signed by Euthymides as potter, from Vulci, Munich 2307.
175
176
176
SARAH B O L M A R CI CH A N D G E O R GI N A MU S K E TT
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
Neer 2002, 91.
Canciani 1978.
Compare Marconi 2004, ix.
Italian Renaissance and northern European paintings: References summarized in Cohen
2004, 66, ns. 48–49. Italian Renaissance: Marconi 2004, ix.
Sabini 1995, 260.
Baxandall 1972, 8–14.
Henry and Plazzota 2004, 56.
Andy Warhol: www.moma.org/collection/artist (s.v. “Andy Warhol”). Jef Koons: “Jef
Koons on his Serpentine show, his inspirations and his studio system works,” The Art
Newspaper 204 (July/August 2009). Damien Hirst: “Revealed: the art Damien Hirst failed
to sell,” The Art Newspaper 194 (September 2008).
Black-igure amphora, from Vulci, signed by Exekias as potter and painter, Rome, Vatican
344. Comprehensively summarized by Moore 1980, 418–421.
Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum BK-1958-22.
Similarly, a number of Byzantine churches in Greece have fake Arabic lettering in their
icons and mosaics; see Walker 2008, n. 7, for discussion and bibliography. Our thanks to R. B.
Schroeder for the reference.
An analogous argument has been made that the production of Attic pottery with erotic
imagery was speciically directed towards the Etruscan market (Lynch 2009, 161).
MacDonald 1981, 166; Trendall 1989, 17.
MacDonald 1981, 164.
MacDonald 1981, 166.
Imports and exports decline: MacDonald 1981, 161. Athens: MacDonald 1981, 168.
Trendall 1989, 17.
Johnston 1991, 222–225.
Hemelrijk 1991, 240–241.