Originating from Athens in the 6th century BC, red- and black-figure vases are important relics of the ancient world, with their pictorial scenes providing an important primary source of historical and mythological iconography. In black-figure vase painting, ornament and figures were applied with a dark slip (watery clay) that blackened during firing, leaving the red color of the clay to show as background. In contrast, for red-figure vases, the painter used the dark slip to color in the background, letting the figures remain the red of the terracotta clay.