Chalice or stemmed cup, Bucchero ware, Etruria, Italy, c. 610 BC. Fine earthenware fired to a grey fabric, thrown, hollow tapered stem which flares out towards the base, wide mouth with a collared rim. This vessel was formed in three sections: the base defined by the moulded line at the top of the stem, the lower body defined by the moulded grooved line at the base of the collar, and the collared rim. Shiny black finish produced by burnishing and firing in a reducing atmosphere. Decoration includes three grooved lines around the body below the collar, a line of short grooves or dents along the junction line at the top of the lower body. Angular profile suggests that this shape was based on a metal prototype.

The chalice was made in the area of Etruria (present-day Tuscany), Italy.

Purchased 1972

A6011

610

165 mm