Arretine Terra Sigillata Chalice (Krater) Body Sherd

Augustan-Claudian
1 - 50 CE

15/16 in. x 1 9/16 in. x 3/16 in. (2.4 cm x 3.9 cm x 0.45 cm)

This object has the following keywords:

• bowls - Rounded, cuplike, hollow parts of objects, such as the body of a stemmed vessel or the part of a pipe in which tobacco is burned.
• chalices - Ecclesiastical drinking vessels for eucharistic wine having a stem, often with a central knop, and a foot; often made of precious metals and usually accompanied by a paten. Use "communion cups" when referring to similar but generally less ornate ecclesiastical drinking vessels used in the Protestant Church during or after the Reformation.
• sherds - Limited to fragments of pottery or glass.
• Terra sigillata - Refers a style used in fine pottery of Italy, Gaul, and Germany, and throughout the Roman Empire from the first century BCE to the third century CE. It developed from the traditions of ancient Greek pottery in the use of calcitic clays rich in iron compounds to produce a glossy surface, but it differs from Greek pottery in employing a single-phase firing in an open kiln. It is characterized by its red color, smooth finish, and sometimes by decorations of stamped figures or patterns. The term was coined in the ninteenth century, and historically there has been disagreement regarding to which pottery it applies, stemming from various interpretations of the term as either "stamped earth," with reference to the stamped designs, or "sealed earth" with reference to an astringent, fatty, medicinal bole called "terra sigillata," from the island of Lemnos, that was thought to be the clay from which the pottery was made. Further confusion has surrounded the relationship of this term and "Samian ware" or "Samian."
• vessels - Containers designed to serve as receptacles for a liquid or other substance, usually those of circular section and made of some durable material; especially containers of this nature in domestic use, employed in connection with the preparation or serving of food or drink, and usually of a size suitable for carrying by hand.