- chapter 52: The Etruscan painted pottery –
Figure 52.3 Etrusco-Geometric tripod pyxis, Narce tomb 1, early seventh century bc. University of
Pennsylvania Museum MS 2732A–B, image no. 152699. Turfa 2005: no. 142.a clay analysis (mostly Mössbauer spectroscopy), it is almost impossible to distinguish
the Etruscan from the Greek examples.^5 Also, in Tarquinia and Vulci Geometric Greek
vases or vases of the second quarter of the eighth century bc in Geometric Greek style
have been found.^6 They are decorated with concentric circles and ovals connected by
S-lines, lozenges with checkered pattern etc. The production of Veii and Caere shows
contacts with Ager Faliscus and Capenate. Other workshops were located in Vulci and
Tarquinia, Bisenzio and Poggio Buco. From the late eighth or early seventh century bc
the production is standardized. At Vulci, thanks to the Cesnola Painter who comes from
Naxos (according to Kourou) and not from Euboea, from 730 bc workshops of Kraters
were born (the workshop of the First Kraters, the Vulci Biconic workshop, and circa
720 bc, the workshop of the Ticinese Krater). The Krater is an important shape for the
symposium. The vases of the Cesnola Painter are the nucleus of the Late Geometric style
of Naxos, full of Attic infl uences. There are also Argive infl uences with contaminations
from Attica or from Naxos (Argive Painter). At Bisenzio the Euboean tradition prevails,
but the workshops also test less common shapes (i.e. bird-shaped askoi). At Tarquinia
are produced mainly oinochoai of Cypro-Phoenician type and Protocorinthian type,
mediated by Cumae. From the beginning of the seventh century bc there begin to appear
in Tarquinia the oldest mythical and epic events of the Hellenic heritage (690–680 bc)
with Theseus, Ariadne and the companions of the hero who perform the dance of the
geranos (the Elongated Horses Painter). The Elongated Horses Painter is a master of
probable Euboean-colonial origin, with Protoattic and Protocorinthian infl uences. At
the beginning of the seventh century bc the Bocchoris Painter is active and, in the fi rst
quarter of the seventh century bc, also the Painter of the Palms, both with Protocorinthian
infl uences.
SUBGEOMETRIC POTTERY^7In the Early and Middle Orientalizing period the Subgeometric pottery with heron
patterns was routinely produced at Caere and Veii. It was also found in the Ager Faliscus