Black-Glazed Ware in the Collection of Classical Antiquities of the Altes Museum (Berlin, Germany): Perspectives from the Northern Black Sea Region

Abstract

The collection of classical antiquities at the Berlin Museum is considered one of the richest in Europe. Attic ceramics, including black-glazed ware, hold a special place among the numerous artefacts stored in the museum. However, for a considerable period, these items have remained largely unexamined and unpublished by researchers.
During recent project, approximately 200 different objects were analysed, and 156 vases were selected for publication in the future catalogue. Among these are Italian imitations (primarily Campanian and Puglian) and one Boeotian krater. To differentiate Attic ware from its imitations, defining visual features were used, such as the nature of raw materials, black-glazed coating, stamped ornaments, the decoration of the outer surfaces of the bases, and morphological elements of the form.
For publication purposes, the material was categorised into “open” and “closed” forms. The first group (60 %) comprises vessels used for the consumption of wine (cups, skyphoi, kantharoi) and food (plates, stemmed dishes, bowls, and saltcellars). The second group consists of closed-type vessels (38 %), including those used for storing wine, water, and oil (oinochoai, pelikai, lekythoi, askoi, among others). The smallest share consisted of special-purpose vessels, such as lekanides and pyxides (2 %).
The article describes nine objects originating from the Northern Black Sea region. These include a skyphos, cups, bowls, a stemmed dish, and a lekythos. Most of the vessels were acquired by museum staff in the latter half of the 19th century. Additionally, four of these objects were purchased in the early 20th century in the area known then as ‘Southern Russia’, indicating their discovery in the Northern Black Sea region. Two of these vases have clear indications of their places of origin — Olbia Pontica and Panticapaeum in Taurica.
These objects exemplify Attic production and are of significant value among similar materials. Although the vases themselves are standard, mass-produced items, their ornamentation system, unique inscriptions, and graffiti elevate them to the status of the renowned painted ancient vases. Moreover, the publication of these previously unknown and unpublished materials from Ukraine enriches our understanding of the region’s antique artefacts and fosters enhanced scientific cooperation between Ukraine and global museum institutions.