The nineteenth century damage to the Tharros necropolises in the search for treasure caused the dispersion of so many funeral items, some of which ended up in private and public collections.

The sacking also involved the Old Phoenician necropolises, where several importation items come from, including Etruscan Bucchero earthenware.

The kantharos is a cup with high handles on the edge (figs. 1-3) and the Etruscan item most commonly found in Tharros and throughout Sardinia. The Rasmussen 3e type is part of this genre, and can be dated to the first half of the 6th century B.C.

This particular cup was destined for the symposium, where it was used expressly to drink win; in fact it can often be seen in the Greek world depicted as being held in Dionisus’ hand (fig. 4).

Fig. 1 - Kantharos in Etruscan Bucchero from a Phoenician necropolis in Tharros (Oristano, Antiquarium Arborense) (photo by Unicity S.p.A.)

Fig. 2 - Kantharos in Etruscan Bucchero from a Phoenician necropolis in Tharros (Oristano, Antiquarium Arborense) (photo by Unicity S.p.A.)

Fig. 3 - Kantharos in Etruscan Bucchero from a Phoenician necropolis in Tharros (Oristano, Antiquarium Arborense) (photo by Unicity S.p.A.)

Fig. 4 - Attican amphora with black characters and separate neck by the Painter of Amasis, depicting Dionisus with the kantharos and two dancing Maenads (530 century B.C.) (From ARIAS 1963, picture XLVIII bis)

The Phoenicians in Sardinia held close trade relations with the large coastline cities in southern Etruria: Vulci, Tarquinia and Cerveteri, and took large amount of earthenware from them (fig. 5), that was then used in Phoenician cities, and redistributed in the native inland communities that had acquired the custom of drinking wine in exotic containers.

Fig. 5 - Etruscan Kantharoi in Bucchero from Tharros (from UGAS, ZUCCA 1984, picture XLIX. Review C. Tronchetti)