Plural of bucchero; a type of Etruscan pottery characterized by a glossy black surface and fine detail.
From Italian 'bucchero,' derived from Portuguese 'barro' (clay), borrowed from an unknown non-Indo-European source. This pottery style became famous in the Renaissance when these ancient Etruscan pieces were rediscovered and highly valued.
Bucchero pottery looks like polished black stone and was so well-made that Renaissance collectors thought it had to be made from a special volcanic material—it wasn't until scientists analyzed the clay that we learned Etruscans were just incredibly skilled potters who created perfect conditions during firing.
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