Bucchero

Product design

A new series of paper vessels by Siba Sahabi takes inspiration from characteristic black Etruscan ceramics and emphasizes the ongoing importance of cultural melting pots.

By Jeanne Tan /asdf 18-05-2010

Intricately fashioned from paper, the Bucchero series designed by Siba Sahabi was inspired by the characteristic black Bucchero wares of ancient Etruscan ceramics. The series comprises nine pieces - carafes, goblets and cups - which are hand-crafted from black wallpaper used for its strength, lightness and resistance to light.

The Etruscan civilization flourished in the region that corresponds roughly to what is now modern-day Tuscany, for several centuries from 800 BC onwards. The blackness of the Etruscan Bucchero ceramics gained their characteristic dark colour and lustrous finish through being fired in a kiln that was deprived of oxygen. The metallic sheen created the impression that the pieces were metalwork. "While visiting the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg (museum art, applied art and design) in Hamburg I discovered their collection of black Etruscan ceramics. The pots with the conspicuous handles, reminding me of big ears, caught my attention," explains Sahabi. "That's how I learned about the so-called “Orientalising period”. It was a time when in some European regions of the Mediterranean coast, oriental art was used as a source of inspiration - especially for the production of ceramics. The Etruscans adopted this in the period ca. 700-600 BC. For me that is a beautiful example of how one culture has influence on another one leading to renewal and cultural richness."

Drawing from the stories behind her rich cultural heritage, the Amsterdam-based German/Iranian designer explores the connection of historical fragments to contemporary design, which can also be seen in her previous collection which was inspired by the Moroccan Tea Dance. "Working on the Tea Dance, I used real objects as my models that I interpreted in my own way. With Bucchero my inspiration came from ancient objects that I only had seen behind glass or photographed," Sahabi continues. "Holding finally my 'Buccheros' in my hands, I felt that I had succeeded in having made a link between history and the present, emphasizing the ongoing importance of cultural melting pots."

The Bucchero pieces are part of the exhibition 'schwarz' (black) showing at Handwerksform Hannover from 5 June until 3 July 2010.

Photography: Karin Nussbaumer