Glossary Pottery and vessels
Relief decoration
Also called: applied relief, plastic decoration
Raised decoration on a pot, made by adding strips, pellets or modelled figures of clay to the surface or by pinching the wall outwards.
Relief decoration stands out from the surface instead of being cut into it or painted on. Archaeologists also call it plastic decoration, from the modelling sense of "plastic". It includes applied ridges, snakes, knobs and pellets as well as whole animal heads set on rims and shoulders.
Early Base Ring pottery is decorated with thin raised lines and applied snakes, while later Base Ring switched to painted white lines. Handmade Plain White vessels could also carry relief or incised ornament, and Red Polished jugs and bowls often have modelled animals and figures attached.
Related terms
- Incised decoration
Lines or patterns cut into a surface with a sharp point; on pottery this is usually done before firing, while the clay is still soft.
- Lug
A small knob or tab of clay on the wall or rim of a vessel, used for gripping, for tying on a cover or, when pierced, for hanging.
- Askos
A closed pouring vessel with an off-centre spout and a handle over the top, often shaped like an animal or bird.