Etruscan Pottery Bucchero Ware: Bucchero oinochoe
Inv. No.: 71.002
Provenance: Etruria (purchased from Charles Ede)
Date: 640-600 BC
Height: 191mm
Width: 123 mm (body); 134 mm (edge of lip to handle edge)
A jug or oinochoe with a relatively tall neck and a piriform body. The neck flares towards its top ending in a wide flaring trefoil mouth with the pouring spout opposite the handle. There is a distinct angle where the neck joins the shoulder of the vase and the junction is marked by a moulding. The body of the vase tapers to a small ring foot. The flat ribbon handle passes from the rim, rises slightly above it, turns down and attaches to the shoulder. A small angular protuberance is formed on the rim on either side of its junction with the handle while incised vertical lines decorate the body of the vase suggesting ribbing. The shape is a common one in Etruscan bucchero (Rasmussen Type 3a; Ramage Type 9 B). The vase has fine walls and a shiny black surface with many small nicks and scratches plus two larger chips missing from the rim. It has been re-assembled from numerous fragments. Orange clay fills some of the incised lines and also covers much of the interior.
Function:
A container for holding and pouring liquids.
Manufacture:
The neck and body were probably thrown separately on a wheel while the handle was made by hand. All sections were joined together using slip when they were beginning to harden and the pouring lip was formed by hand. After burnishing and/or coating with a wash or slip and decorative incision, the vase was fired in a reducing atmosphere.
Decoration:
- The moulding at the junction of neck and shoulder consists of a raised ridge between two grooves.
- More or less vertical incised lines decorate the body, starting from the shoulder and finishing about two thirds of the way down. These vertical lines are framed by horizontal bands made up of three lines. However, these are rather careless and some additional lines have been added, probably by mistake.
Bibliography:
Etruscan Bucchero, Folio Fine Art catalogue, 1971, No. 41.
Kanowski, M. G., The Antiquities Collection, catalogue, Department of Classics and Ancient History, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, 1978, 39.
Ramage, N. H., "Studies in Early Etruscan Bucchero", Papers of the British School at Rome, XXXVIII (1970), especially 33.
Rasmussen, T. B., Bucchero Pottery from Southern Etruria, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1979, 75-88, especially 78-79.
Comparanda:
Mayence, F. and V. Verhoogen, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Belgique 2, Bruxelles 2 (1937), Pl. 4, 14 (shape).
Pryce, F. N., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Great Britain 10, British Museum 7 (1932), IV B a, Pl. 14, 18; Pl. 21, 16; Pl. 22, 6 (from Cervetri) (all similar shape; "early period").
Ramage, N. H., "Studies in Early Etruscan Bucchero", Papers of the British School at Rome, XXXVIII (1970), Fig. 22, 1
Rasmussen, T. B., Bucchero Pottery from Southern Etruria, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1979, Pl. 7, 29; Pl. 8, 30-35 (especially 33).