Bucchero-ware Pitcher with Relief Decoration
| Culture | Etruscan |
|---|---|
| Title | Bucchero-ware Pitcher with Relief Decoration |
| Date | 700–600 BCE |
| Medium | Terracotta |
| Dimensions | Overall: 11 x 7 1/8 in. (28 x 18.1 cm) |
| Credit Line | Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 80.82 |
| This artwork is currently on view. | |
This pitcher has a tri-lobed mouth and one in the shape of a dog. It has three-dimensional ribbed decorations on the shoulder and, on the body, busts of warriors with spears in relief are set into a series of rectangular frames.
This style of pottery, known as Bucchero ware, was produced in Etruria from the seventh through the fifth centuries BCE. Made of clay that fired to a shiny black, these pots were intended to imitate bronze vessels. The sharp forms of the handle and the stamped relief panels on this pitcher specifically reflect characteristics of Etruscan metalwork. Interestingly, imitative shapes were developed by potters into innovative shapes that proved to be very influential. Bucchero ware was popular locally, but it also became an extremely profitable export. Examples have been found throughout the Mediterranean region.
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
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"Bucchero-ware Pitcher with Relief Decoration | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=80.82