Vases › White-ground

Technique

White-ground

Period c. 500–400 BC

Collection 734 vases

A white slip covers the vessel, allowing polychrome painting in added colours — reds, blues, yellows, greens. The closest surviving approximation to the lost art of Greek panel painting. Most common on lekythoi used as grave offerings, their ethereal beauty perfectly suited to funerary themes.

734 examples

KRATER, COLUMN, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

KRATER, COLUMN, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (?), FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (?), FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

DINOS, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

DINOS, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

PLATE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

PLATE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

KRATER, COLUMN, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

KRATER, COLUMN, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

KRATER, COLUMN (?), FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

KRATER, COLUMN (?), FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (?), FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, FIKELLURA, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (?), FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, FIKELLURA, OUTLINE)

FRAGMENT (EGYPTIAN, OUTLINE)

FRAGMENT (EGYPTIAN, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

PLATE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

PLATE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, BELLY (CYCLADIC, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, BELLY (CYCLADIC, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

JAR (EGYPTIAN, OUTLINE)

JAR (EGYPTIAN, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

CUP (EGYPTIAN, OUTLINE)

CUP (EGYPTIAN, OUTLINE)

JAR (EGYPTIAN, OUTLINE)

JAR (EGYPTIAN, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, BELLY (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, BELLY (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

FLASK (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

FLASK (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

FLASK (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

FLASK (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, BELLY (MYCENEAN, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, BELLY (MYCENEAN, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, BELLY (MYCENEAN, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, BELLY (MYCENEAN, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

TANKARD (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

TANKARD (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

FRAGMENT (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

FRAGMENT (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

PYXIS (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

PYXIS (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

PITCHER (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

PITCHER (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

TANKARD (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

TANKARD (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

POMEGRANATE (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

POMEGRANATE (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

CUP (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

CUP (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

KRATER (EAST GREEK GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

KRATER (EAST GREEK GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (BOEOTIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (BOEOTIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

KRATER (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

KRATER (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

KRATER (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

KRATER (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

DOUBLE VASE (ATHENIAN, OUTLINE)

DOUBLE VASE (ATHENIAN, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

TANKARD (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

TANKARD (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

CUP (PROTOATTIC, OUTLINE)

CUP (PROTOATTIC, OUTLINE)

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Images courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (CC0)