Ancient Terracotta Oenochoe (Wine Jug), Roman North Africa

Description

Oenochoe, the Greek word for wine vessel or jug, is a category of terracotta Greek ancient pottery with many different variants. Copied and modified by ancient cultures in pottery centers including the Roman-North-Africa territory called Africa-Proconsularis, earthenware terracotta pouring-vessels were produced for both its local market and exported to other areas of the Roman-Empire. Oenochoe were wheel made, covered in a slip and could be highly decorated for the rich or be undecorated functional and utilitarian pieces like this called Coarse Wares for the poor. Having a single handle attached below the mouth or other versions that rise in a curved form above the lip, it might have a simple flaring rim, a pouring spout or a trefoil mouth, and these variations could be mixed in pieces of very different sizes. Handles for all items large or small were always made for comfort in handling and pouring and for use by a single hand. The Greeks, Romans and Corinthians created them as painted terracotta pottery with complex imagery and others in metal for the rich, and some large stone examples with carved relief designs were sometimes used as grave markers.