Exhibited Etruscan Bucchero Kyathos w/ Gorgon Maskette

Classical World, Italy, Etruria, ca. late 7th to 6th century BCE. A lovely wheel-thrown blackware pottery kyathos with a squat foot, a hemispherical lower body surmounted by a tall, flared rim, and a high-arching handle with a conical thumb rest protruding from the top. Overlooking the basin is a petite maskette depicting a female gorgon with large eyes and a coiffure of curled nodules. The presence of a gorgon speaks to the Classical world of mythology; the concept of the gorgon is at least as old as Homer and continued to be used as a monstrous symbol throughout the Roman period. Bucchero is a specifically Etruscan technique for firing pottery which results in a smooth, lustrous, jet-black finish. This type of vessel was perhaps made to be buried with offerings, as was often the case for such fine Etruscan pottery. Size: 4" W x 5.25" H (10.2 cm x 13.3 cm)

Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; ex-private Brown collection; exhibited at the San Antonio Art Museum, San Antonio, Texas, USA

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#150422
Condition Report: Latter half of handle repaired from a few large pieces, with minor fill material along some break lines, and resurfacing and overpainting along new material and break lines. Minor abrasions to foot, body, and handle, and light fading to areas of original glaze color. Light earthen deposits throughout.