DECORATED DISH
 OF SOUTHGAULISH 
           SAMIAN WARE
    (TERRA SIGILATA)
Lucentum (Tossal de Manises, Alicante)

Pottery
h: 10.1cm; diam 23.6 cm
Roman
Dating to the first half of the reign of the Emperor Nero (50-60/65 BC).
 

Carinated dish (Dragendorff 29 B), mould decorated apart from the rim which has rouletting. The motif of the frieze is a continuous wavy garland with simple medallions with birds. The lower part of the body is also decorated with a continuous wavy garland but with cordiform or heart shaped medallions with birds, flanked by two small birds in the lower part. There is a badly impressed maker’s mark on the base which is unidentifiable.

South Gaulish Samian ware or Terra Sigillata was mass produced as fine tableware in pottery workshops in the south of Gaul. From here it was exported on a large scale mainly to the western part of the Roman Empire. As well as producing dishes such as this one on display, plates, cups and trays were also made.
C.S.: 6057
RIBERA, A. 1988-89.
REGINARD, H. & SÁNCHEZ, M.J., 1990.