Glossary Pottery and vessels
Carination
Also called: carinated
A sharp angle in the profile of a vessel where the wall changes direction, as in a bowl or cup with a distinct shoulder.
A carinated vessel has a keel-like ridge instead of a smooth curve between its lower body and its upper wall. The feature is easy to see in profile and is one of the traits used to define shapes and types.
Carinated bowls in Plain White ware were among the new Late Bronze Age forms of Levantine inspiration, and carinated cups were the favourite Base Ring drinking vessel, used even in sanctuaries. Carinated forms also occur in later White Painted and Bichrome pottery.
Related terms
- Ring base
A low ring of clay on the underside of a vessel on which it stands, in place of a flat, rounded or pointed base.
- Open and closed shapes
The basic division of vessel forms: open shapes have a mouth as wide as the body, closed shapes narrow to a neck or small opening.