bucchero

American  

[boo-kuh-roh, book-uh-] / ˈbu kəˌroʊ, ˈbʊk ə- /

noun

buccheros plural

1. an Etruscan black ceramic ware, often ornamented with incised geometrical patterns or figures carved in relief.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• buccheros
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bucchero

1885–90; < Italian < Spanish búcaro < Portuguese: clay vessel, earlier púcaro < Mozarabic < Latin pōculum goblet. See potion, -cule ²

Explanation

Bucchero is a type of black or deep gray pottery that was produced in ancient Italy. It's known for its shiny, metallic-looking surface, created by polishing the clay and carefully controlling oxygen levels in the kiln where the pottery was fired. Bucchero was made by the Etruscans, a pre-Roman civilization of ancient Italy. The pottery was not painted, and its black color extended throughout the fired clay. Because it resembled metal but was made of clay, bucchero allowed less wealthy members of Etruscan society to own elegant dishware and vessels with a high-end, metallic appearance. Bucchero was a major product of Etruscan commerce, traded throughout the Mediterranean from Spain to Egypt.