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‘Epoiesen’ on Greek Vases

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

R. M. Cook
Affiliation:
Museum of Classical Archaelogy, Cambridge

Extract

A relatively very small but by absolute reckoning considerable number of painted Greek pots have signatures on them. These signatures are almost always painted and indicate either the maker (έποίησϵν) or the painter (ἔγραψϵν). The relevant statistics are these. Most of the signatures are on Attic products of the century from 570 to 470. Makers' signatures are about twice as common as painters'. Sometimes both kinds of signature occur on the same pot, but (so far as I know) only three times are the maker and the painter the same man. In two instances the signature gives the names of two makers.

Type
Notes
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies 1971

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References

1 Exekias twice (ABV, nos. 1 and 13); Duris once (ARV, no. 256).

2 ABV 163–4 (Glaukytes and Archicles) and 230 (Anacles and Nikosthenes): both are Band cups.

3 H. Bloesch, Formen attischer Schalen.

4 Similarly the much less frequent incision of signatures was done after painting.

5 IG i2 516. Raubitschek, A. E., Dedications from the Athenian Akropolis 255–8, no. 225Google Scholar.

6 Beazley, ingeniously suggested failing eyesight (Potter and Painter 34)Google Scholar; but if he is right, it did not destroy Euphronios's commercial success.

7 References in Beazley, op. cit. 21–5.

8 Nearly 120 are listed in ABV and ARV. If Nikosthenes shaped all these pieces and also the unsigned cups attributed to the same shaper as one or other of the signed cups, then it would seem that he filled the needs of several painters: yet, so J. V. Noble tells me, on average the shaping of a pot needs about as much time as the painting.

9 On this I am obliged for advice to Dr J. Chadwick.

10 ABV 77.