Wares of this type are usually referred to as African Red Slipware, as they were specific to the African provinces of the Roman Empire. Most pottery workshops are known from modern Tunisia and Algeria, and they were active from the 1st century until the 7th century AD. African Red Slipware is identified as the final development of the terra sigillata technique, from the Latin, meaning ‘sealed earth’. Terra sigillata was a form of Roman red slipware pottery, which was developed around the mid-1st century BC, both for domestic use and export. They constituted a precious kind of fine ware, reserved for the elites as a way to display prestige at banquets and dinner parties. This kind of pottery is characterised by its glossy red/orange surface slip. These pieces were modelled on the lathe directly in the matrix, on which decorative motifs were hollowed out and then impressed on the smooth body of the vessel, appearing therefore in relief. Sometimes the decorative motifs in relief would have been applied to the vessel by using a very thin, liquid clay. Red slipware became popular around the first century AD, and by the third century, it was the most popular type of tableware used in the Late Roman household. One of the most important centres of production was the Italian city of Arretium (modern day Arezzo). However, terra sigillata wares were produced also in Gaul and later in North Africa and Asia Minor. Terra sigillata vessels were often decorated in accordance with traditional Graeco-Roman tastes, presenting images of classical mythology, hunting scenes and divine figures.
Roman Redware Terracotta Bowl with Gladiatorial and Hunting Scenes
£ 1,350.00
A fine Roman redware terracotta bowl, decorated with gladiatorial and hunting scenes. The bowl sits on a circular ring foot, with its base extending upwards towards the slightly convex walls of the vessel. The curved walls taper inwards at the neck, before flaring out into an everted rim. The sides of the bowl have been decorated with several figures even spaced apart, including a gladiator. He is depicted with his right leg extended, left leg bent, and right arm raised, engaging in battle with a leopard. The feline is thrown over his shoulder, with its large head pressed against the warrior’s torso. Two more feline figures, lions, leap towards the heroically nude figure, one behind the other. Behind the pair of lions, a stag is mounted by an attacking animal, likely a boar. Another boar leaps towards the scene, as if joining in on the hunt. The bowl has been further embellished with an encircling incised line above the main register. This style of red-ware, with applied appliqué decoration, was common in North Africa, with workshops in Tunisia.
Condition: Excellent. Minor damage to the figures, such as scratches, wear, and cracks. Some earthly encrustations and roughness to the surface. The walls of the bowl are slightly warped.
| Weight | 399 g |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | L 18.6 x H 7 cm |
| Region | North Africa, Southern Europe |
| Pottery | Redware |
