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An Evaluation of Decorative Techniques on a Red-Figure Attic Vase from the Worcester Art Museum using Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) and Confocal Microscopy with a Special Focus on the “Relief Line”

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 May 2011

Paula Artal-Isbrand ,
Philip Klausmeyer  and
Winifred Murray
Paula Artal-Isbrand
Affiliation:
Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609, U.S.A.
Philip Klausmeyer
Affiliation:
Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609, U.S.A.
Winifred Murray
Affiliation:
Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609, U.S.A.
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Abstract

Decorative features on a Greek red-figure stamnos in the collection of the Worcester Art Museum were examined using Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) and scanning laser confocal microscopy. These two surface examination tools helped to answer questions relating to the decorative process, particularly the tools and techniques that Attic painters used to create the so-called glossy black “relief lines” and “relief dots.” This research also incorporated fabricated mock-ups to help understand the ancient technology. It was determined that the relief line was not produced by an extruded method, but with a brush made of one or very few hairs, an idea first proposed by Gérard Seiterle in 1976 and termed Linierhaar. It was observed that not one but two distinct types of relief lines exist: the “laid” line (proposed by Seiterle) characterized by a ridge running through the middle of the line and the “pulled” line (proposed in this paper) which has a furrowed profile. Both line types were reproduced with a Linierhaar. Additionally, relief dots were replicated using a conventional brush. Surface examinations of other red-figure vessels using RTI and the confocal microscope suggest these conclusions apply to vessels of this genre as a whole.

Keywords

ceramicarchaeologyart
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1319: Symposium WW – Materials Issues in Art and Archaeology IX , 2011 , mrsf10-1319-ww01-06
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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