Beautiful Greek Etruscan Bucchero-Ware Chalice

$1,895.57

A very well preserved Ancient Greek bucchero-ware pottery chalice. It has a high stemmed foot, flaring sharply at the base, and small biconical moulding near the top of the foot. The body is decorated mid-way with concentric grooves and a small ridge towards the base of the walls. The entire piece has a beautiful black glazed appearance which speaks to the high level of quality this item possesses.

Date: Circa 6th Century BC
Provenance: Ex Jon Lawton collection; Ex Royal Athena Gallery; Ex H. H. Scullard collection.
Condition: Very fine condition; surfaces with minor rubs and scratches, more so on the inside of the bowl.

SOLD

SKU: AS-3259 Category:

‘Bucchero-ware’ refers to the pottery produced by central Italy’s pre-Etruscan population. The same practice of pottery was then adopted by the Etruscans – the lustrous black surface was achieved by diligent polishing, rather than by means of a gloss.

Southern Italy was populated by a large number of Greek colonies from the 8th century BC onwards – so much so that the Romans referred to the area as Magna Graecia – ‘Great Greece’. These Greek colonies were instrumental in bringing Greek culture and thought to Italy, greatly influencing Roman literature, philosophy, and material culture in turn. Greek pottery from Southern Italy is most characteristically defined by the glossy black finish, as seen on this cup.

To discover more about Ancient Greek pottery, please visit our relevant blog post: Collecting Ancient Greek Vases.

Weight 458 g
Dimensions H 15.2 cm
Country

Culture

Pottery and Porcelain

Region

Reference: For a similar item, see The British Museum, item number 1922,0413.5