▁other ▁main ▁techniques ▁of ▁black - figure ▁and ▁red - figure ▁v ase ▁painting . ▁ ▁Nevertheless , ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁subjects ▁are ▁dep icted . ▁ ▁Te chni que ▁and ▁style ▁ ▁In ▁white - ground ▁pot tery , ▁the ▁v ase ▁is ▁covered ▁with ▁a ▁light ▁or ▁white ▁s lip ▁ ▁of ▁ka olin ite . ▁A ▁similar ▁s lip ▁had ▁been ▁used ▁as ▁car rier ▁for ▁v ase ▁paint ings ▁in ▁the ▁Ge ometric ▁and ▁Arch a ic ▁periods . ▁White - ground ▁v ases ▁were ▁produced , ▁for ▁example , ▁in ▁I onia , ▁La con ia ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁Cy cl adic ▁islands . ▁But ▁only ▁in ▁Ath ens ▁did ▁it ▁develop ▁into ▁a ▁ver itable ▁separate ▁style ▁beside ▁black - figure ▁and ▁red - figure ▁v ase ▁painting . ▁For ▁that ▁reason , ▁the ▁term ▁white - ground ▁pot tery ▁or ▁white - ground ▁v ase ▁painting ▁is ▁usually ▁used ▁in ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁Att ic ▁material ▁only . ▁▁ ▁The ▁light ▁s lip ▁was ▁probably ▁meant ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁v ases ▁appear ▁more ▁valuable , ▁perhaps ▁by ▁el ic iting ▁associations ▁with ▁iv ory ▁or ▁mar ble . ▁However , ▁in ▁no ▁case ▁was ▁a ▁vessel ' s ▁entire ▁surface ▁covered ▁in ▁white ▁s lip . ▁It ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁conject ured ▁that ▁this ▁form ▁of ▁painting ▁emer ged ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁em ulate ▁the ▁more ▁pr estig ious ▁medium ▁of ▁wall ▁painting , ▁but ▁the ▁th esis ▁has ▁been ▁el us ive ▁of ▁proof