Pots of silver? Michael Vickers considers the original value of Greek ceramics, and why it has become inflated in recent centuries.(Critical Essay)

THE WAY IN WHICH WE REGARD Greek and Roman artefacts -- especially pottery -- today, is different from the way in which they were regarded in antiquity. Until recently, some Greek pottery vessels were ranked among the most precious surviving relics, in the belief that the ancients held them in equally high esteem.

The extant pottery undoubtedly provides a precious resource of iconographic material that can greatly enrich our understanding of ancient Greece; but its status in antiquity has been exaggerated. I used to share the views I am about to criticise, but in thirty years ...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.