ITEM: Chalice with open fans decoration MATERIAL: Pottery, Bucchero ware CULTURE: Etruscan PERIOD: 7th - 6th Century B.C DIMENSIONS: 170 mm x 163 mm CONDITION: Good condition, repaired PROVENANCE: Ex European private collection, Ex Lakythos S.A.R.L (1987), Ex Galerie Hydra, Geneva, Switzerland (1984) PARALLEL: The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Accession number 84.66.223 Etruscan pottery is best known for its distinctive Bucchero ware, a type of ceramic fabric that is uniformly black from surface to core, often burnished to a high, almost metallic sheen. Produced primarily between the 7th and 5th centuries BCE, this characteristic black color was achieved by a specialized firing process called reduction, where the oxygen supply in the kiln was deliberately restricted. This technique chemically altered the iron oxide in the clay from its natural reddish state to a ferrous oxide, resulting in the lustrous black appearance that beautifully imitated the costly imported metal vessels—particularly silver—prized by the Etruscan elite. Bucchero ware evolved through distinct phases. The earliest and most technically refined is the Bucchero sottile (fine bucchero), dating from the 7th to early 6th century BCE, characterized by its remarkably thin, delicate walls, and decoration that was primarily incised (cut into the soft clay) with simple geometric patterns or stylized animals. Over time, this gave way to the heavier, thicker-walled Bucchero pesante (heavy bucchero). This later style, appearing from the mid-6th century BCE onward, featured more elaborate, mold-applied relief decoration, often incorporating figurative scenes or friezes that were sometimes inspired by Oriental and early Greek artistic motifs. In addition to Bucchero, Etruscan potters produced a variety of other ceramic styles, heavily influenced by imported Greek pottery. They initially created local versions of Impasto (a coarse, handmade ware from the earlier Villanovan culture), and later developed their own versions of Greek painted vessels, such as Etrusco-Corinthian and imitation Black-Figure and Red-Figure techniques. These painted wares typically showcased scenes adapted from Greek mythology or local Etruscan life. Regardless of style, Etruscan vessels—including common shapes like the kantharos (a deep drinking cup), oinochoe (jug), and amphora (storage jar)—were frequently found in funerary contexts, serving as grave goods to accompany the deceased. Comes with Certificate of Authenticity and European Union export license If you bid outside European Union and win the item, we must request a new export license to your country and the shipment will delay between 3 - 5 weeks.