The Etruscan World (Routledge Worlds)

• chapter 53: The meanings of bucchero –

cylinder seals are carved with processions of stylized fi gures or animals. When rolled
on the vase they produce a continuous frieze whose complexity and small scale add
considerably to the decorative quality of the vase. Scholars have meticulously studied
and categorized these seals.^40 Thus, we have a key indicator of where certain seals were
used and can employ the designs to determine regional or workshop differences and
preferences.

INSCRIPTIONS ON BUCCHERO

From the fi rst appearances in the early seventh century bc until its gradual disappearance
during the fourth century bc, bucchero pottery was often inscribed. These inscriptions
may be as short as a single letter, perhaps to indicate a particular potter or workshop (i.e. a
kind of trademark), or they may be as long as a dedication mentioning donor and divinity
to whom the offering was made. A number of inscriptions address the reader directly to
state the name of the owner. These iscrizioni parlanti are important documents recording
not only names of specifi c Etruscan individuals but also sometimes the Etruscan word for
the particular vase shape on which it is inscribed.^41
Among the early inscriptions on bucchero are two important alphabets. These two
objects are roughly contemporary and date circa 630–620 bc. The fi rst appears on the
body of a stylized bucchero cockerel.^42 This shows an incised alphabet with 26 letters (one
letter, an “S,” appears twice) moving from left to right (Fig. 53.12). This small object
has a lid that can be affi xed with a cord to the body and probably served as an inkwell.
Another bucchero container of conical shape was discovered in 1836 near the Regolini-
Galassi Tomb at Cerveteri.^43 It too is probably an inkwell. All of the inscriptions move
from left to right. In this case, the alphabet is incised around the base while above, on the
body, is a syllabary. The syllabary, consisting of fi ve lines, combines thirteen consonants
with the four vowels used by the Etruscans (i, a, u, e). Thus, this little inkwell provides a
handy reference for someone learning how to write.
We have already noted above the one-word inscriptions identifying specifi c mythical
characters like metaia (Medea) and taitale (Daidalos) on the San Paolo olpe (see Figs 6.37
and 24.1). Another type of inscription, frequent on bucchero and other types of pottery,
is one showing ownership or dedication. A good example is a bucchero object, perhaps
the foot and stem of a large chalice or part of an incense burner. This was excavated at the
Portonaccio Temple, Veii, and dates to circa 550 bc.^44 There are two inscriptions. The
one at the base is simply a series of repeated “r” letters, for which we have no explanation.
The upper inscription, moving from right to left, reads:

mine muluv[an]ece avile vipiiennas = I have been given/dedicated by Avile Vipiiennas

Figure 53.12 Incised inscription on a bucchero sottile cockerel, said to be from Viterbo,

circa 630–620 bc. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, inv. 24.97.21a, b.)

Drawing from Etruscans: Italy’s Lovers of Life (Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1995) p. 23.