Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. In the present catalogue the Museum of Fine Arts desires to offer to archaeologists an exact description of the vases in its classical collection, and to the general public some assistance in learning to appreciate the qualities which give Greek vases an interest possessed by few classes of ancient monuments. The accomplishment of this twofold task is difficult within the limits of one book, and especially so when the size and character of the book are restricted, as those of a catalogue must necessarily be. The technical description of a vase, in the formulas now universally adopted in archaeological works, is dull if not incomprehensible to those who are not specialists in the subject; whereas the attempt to stop and explain, in every case, why this or that fact is noted, would undoubtedly lead to confusion in one class of readers, and exasperation in another, and would moreover prolong the descriptions indefinitely. Therefore the book has been divided into two parts, - the Catalogue proper, which has been prepared primarily for those who make a special study of Greek ceramics, that they may be informed of what this museum contains; and an Introduction, intended for those who are interested in the subject, but know little about it. In the latter are included a resume of the history of Greek pottery, with descriptions of the different types, an account of the manufacture of Greek vases in the best periods of the art, and a list of the Greek potters whose names survive. For the illustration of characteristics which are described or alluded to, reference is constantly made to vases in our collection, to which the Introduction therefore serves in some degree as a guide or commentary.
