Samuel Birch and H. B. Walters present an exhaustive historical and technical examination of ancient pottery, tracing the craft from its primitive origins in Babylonia and Egypt to its artistic culmination in Greece, Etruria, and Rome. The text begins with a detailed survey of the general uses of clay, exploring how sun-dried bricks, architectural tiles, lamps, and terracotta sculpture provided the foundations of ancient material culture.
The author details the mechanical evolution of pottery through the invention of the potter’s wheel and the application of enamels and glazes. The core of the study is dedicated to the history of Greek vase-painting, mapping out primitive fabrics, geometric decoration, and the distinctive styles of Ionia, Corinth, and Athens. Special attention is given to the technical processes of the workshop, describing how clay was gathered, moulded, painted, and fired in antiquity, as well as the social status of potters. The discussion extends into the later periods of vase production, examining white-ground painting, the decadence of Greek styles, and the rise of local fabrics in Southern Italy, Etruria, and the Roman world. The volumes conclude with comprehensive bibliographies, lists of plates and illustrations, and an invaluable guide to the principal museum collections and archaeological sites where these monumental ceramics were discovered.
