ai os ▁work shop . ▁ ▁Character istic ▁features ▁are ▁the ▁angular ▁body ▁of ▁the ▁am ph ora ▁and ▁the ▁broad ▁flat ▁handles . ▁The ▁E tr us can ▁prede cess ors ▁were ▁black - p aint ed , ▁whereas ▁the ▁Att ic ▁v ases ▁were ▁decor ated ▁in ▁the ▁black - figure ▁style . ▁Near ly ▁all ▁know ▁examples ▁were ▁found ▁in ▁Ca ere , ▁while ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁Nik ost hen es ▁products ▁in ▁other ▁shapes ▁were ▁discovered ▁in ▁V ul ci . ▁This ▁suggests ▁that ▁the ▁type ▁was ▁specifically ▁made ▁for ▁sale ▁in ▁or ▁to ▁Ca ere , ▁which ▁indicates ▁that ▁Nik ost hen es ▁must ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁gift ed ▁sales man ▁and ▁that ▁an ▁efficient ▁system ▁of ▁intermediate ▁trad ers ▁must ▁have ▁existed . ▁Nik s oth enes ▁created ▁or ▁introduced ▁several ▁v ase ▁shapes , ▁but ▁the ▁Nik ost hen ic ▁am ph ora ▁is ▁his ▁most ▁famous ▁innov ation . ▁ ▁The ▁cl ay ▁of ▁the ▁Nik ost hen ic ▁am ph ora e ▁is ▁bright ▁orange - red , ▁and ▁thus ▁provides ▁a ▁perfect ▁base ▁for ▁black - figure ▁v ase ▁painting . ▁Their ▁decor ation ▁follows ▁quite ▁varied ▁patterns . ▁Sometimes , ▁they ▁are ▁sub div ided ▁in ▁two ▁or ▁three ▁separate ▁fr ie zes , ▁mostly ▁of ▁plant ▁and ▁animal ▁mot ifs . ▁In ▁other ▁cases , ▁images ▁cover ▁the ▁whole ▁v ase ▁body . ▁ ▁Appar ently ▁most , ▁perhaps ▁even ▁all , ▁Nik ost hen ic ▁am ph ora e ▁were