Black-glazed vases were produced in large quantities already from the first half of the 6th c. BC and throughout the 5th and 4th c. BC, even though they were not unknown in earlier periods either. The superb shapes with the glossy black surface owes a great deal to metal models, which they apparently tried to imitate and sometimes replace as a cheaper option. Immediately after the Persian Wars (i.e. from the first half of the 5th c. BC), these vases were often discreetly embellished with incised and impressed motifs, such as palmettes; thus acquiring a more attractive aspect. Vases like this column krater were made in the workshops of the Kerameikos of Athens, as well as in Laconian Workshops and were frequently given as votive offerings in major sanctuaries. They were also traded, mainly to Italy, where the Etruscans used them in symposia and banquets or placed them as grave goods in tombs.