The Six's Technique in Boiotia: Regional Experiments in Technique and Iconography

Abstract

Despite progress in the study of Boiotian black- and red-figure vase painting, research on special techniques of vase decoration for this region is lacking. This article attempts to examine a facet of Boiotian decorated pottery in which colors were added over the black glaze, a practice known as Six's technique. Our synthesis focuses on material that long languished unstudied, and we aim to understand the manifestations of this technique over time by examining the issues of influences, development, variations, and affiliations with other regional overpainted ceramics. Iconography, including generic images of youths and animals, as well as rare Dionysiac scenes and parodies, is discussed in relation to the local social customs of the region.