Douris and the painters of Greek vases . given as prizes at the feasts in honour of Athenecontained the savoury oil produced by thesacred plants of the goddess. Victors carriedthese to their homes as trophies. There is noreason to believe that other vases were treateddifferently. Why should the painted amphorae,such as are found from the sixth centuryonwards in great numbers in Etruscan tombs, besent forth empty from the workshops of Corinth,Chalkis, or Athens ? They certainly once con-tained a product prized by the inhabitants ofCaere and Volsinii more than the beauty ofthe painting on their
Douris and the painters of Greek vases . given as prizes at the feasts in honour of Athenecontained the savoury oil produced by thesacred plants of the goddess. Victors carriedthese to their homes as trophies. There is noreason to believe that other vases were treateddifferently. Why should the painted amphorae,such as are found from the sixth centuryonwards in great numbers in Etruscan tombs, besent forth empty from the workshops of Corinth,Chalkis, or Athens ? They certainly once con-tained a product prized by the inhabitants ofCaere and Volsinii more than the beauty ofthe painting on their exterior. In consequenceof this beautiful decoration, which was a sortof trade-mark of Greek produce, rich familiesin Italy ordered entire table services fromAthens for special use at banquets and religiousfestivals. They not only comprised receptaclesfor oil and wine—amphoras, krateres, lekythoi,decanters for wine as the oinochoai, holders ofwater as the hydria—but also vases for drink-ing, such as the kylix, the kantharos, and the. Fig. 5. A DISPLAY OF VASES AND A by Phintias. Baltimore Museum. n] GREEK EXPORT TRADE 17 skyphos, and even plates and platters. Fromthe fifth century onwards Athens had succeededin destroying all competition. She had becomethe unique centre of this trade. The characterof the art then obtained decisive importance. The manufacture of the kylix—which wasessentially the instrument of joy and gaiety,passing &t banquets from hand to hand andadmired by every one as it passed—receivedan impetus until then unknown. Hence it was in consequence of being in cl®seconnection with the export trade and with thetwo other great industries of wine and oil thatthe ceramic art of Athens developed so extra-ordinarily. The manufacturers must frequentlyhave made large fortunes. Historians tell listhat the great fortunes in Athens were in thehands of the metics. It is not astonishing tohear of rich offerings being made on theAcropolis by manufactur
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