East Greek Bird Bowl

The East Greek Bird Bowl developed around 700 BC, probably in northern Ionia, from the bird-kotyle.

Although they are subgeometric in style, they belong to Orientalising period of Ancient Greek vase painting.

The central, elongated one holds the depiction of a diagonally hatched bird.

The earliest bird cups have a small ledge under the rim and additional row of dots under the decoration, below which the body is painted in solid black.

Around 675 BC the ledge and dots were abandoned, from about 640 onwards, the originally black-painted bottom of the bowl was left in natural clay colour, but often decorated with a star or five rays.