Bucchero is a class of ceramics produced in central Italy by the Etruscan population. The word Bucchero is derived from the Latin poculum, a drinking-vessel. In the Bucchero-ware both the clay and the surface appear of an intense, glossy black colour. The black colour is not obtained by painting the vessel or by covering the vessel with a clay slip, but towards a particular firing process in the absence of oxygen. The chemical transformation of oxidation, which was the cause behind the typical orange colour of the clay, was in this way prevented. The glossy surface on Bucchero wares was achieved by a burnishing or polishing.The appearance and the shape of Bucchero vases are very similar to those of the more expensive metal vases, of which they were a substitute: the glossy surface was specifically designed to imitate contemporary bronze vessels.
Etruscan Bucchero Ware Chalice
£ 500.00
An Etruscan Bucchero-ware pottery chalice featuring a stemmed foot, flaring sharply at the base. The vessel’s body displays a decoration of concentric grooves incised on the lustrous black surface.
Condition: Fine, with some signs of aging and earthly encrustation on the surface. Chip to the rim.
SOLD