Black figure

Black figure pottery is a style used in ancient Greek pottery painting in which the decoration appears as black silhouettes on a red background. The art form originated in Corinth, a Greek city, during the early 7th century BC. The Greek vases turned a reddish-orange color when fired because the pale clay was rich in iron. The design was sketched in outline, then filled in using refined clay as paint. Details were added onto the pottery with an engraving tool by scratching through the paint layer to the clay below.