Magna Graecia

The pottery from Magna Graecia was varied and rich in quality. The red-figure pottery falls into two basic groups. One is Apulian and Lucian, and the other group is Campanian, Sicilian, and Paestan. The pottery from this area is the most collected today. A.D. Trendall estimates the total number of extant examples of Apulian pottery is more than 10,000, Campanian at over 4000, and less than 1000 each of the other wares. The function of most South Italian vases was to hold water, wine, and oil. The funerary vases were not constrained by their function, but were designed more for visual appeal. Some were so large as to be unusable for holding water. This pottery was primarily used in the locality in which it was manufactured. The black gaze wares were produced with an unbroken lustrous surface. Its fine sheen resembles metal. This classic ware was extensively made, and a large degree of examples are available today on the market. They are often collected for their various elegant shapes.