Roman North African is the province created along the north coast in 146 BCE after the defeat of the Carthaginian Empire. Named Africa Proconsulares it covered a territory spanning present day Tunisia, Northeast Algeria and the coast of Libya. Including original Phoenician and Carthaginian coastal areas developed to enable shipping and trading in the Mediterranean, it was very affluent, it was second only to Italia and enforced Roman policy to thwart the possibility of another North African power. Divided into territories and ruled by Roman officials chosen by the Roman Senate and part of the Empire under various names until the 7th century CE, it was nicknamed “the granary of the empire” and provided much of the Empire’s agriculture, textiles, wine, timber, livestock, marble and wool. Simple slipped utilitarian terracotta pottery, more decorative ceramics with etched and stamped designs and wares known as African Red Slip were made in North African pottery production centers, shipped to Italia and elsewhere in the Empire and are in represented our collection.
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This small wine jug was created in a Roman North Africa production center for domestic use and exported elsewhere in the empire. As the poor could only afford practical objects, potters made many functional objects using inexpensive long-lasting materials.
The shape of this elegant carinated ancient earthenware pouring vessel used to hold and dispense potable liquids: water, wine and other drinks. They were used to hydrate everyone including laborers, field workers, ship-rowers, army personnel and people in their homes and were placed wherever they were needed.
This Roman ceramic flagon is a uniquely shaped vessel used to store and pour potable liquids. A crème slip carinated jug with a high profile and a trefoil pouring spout, it has a strap handle attached from the carinated edge to just below the rim for easy handling.
Earthenware pottery jarlets from Roman North Africa were used as oil, perfume, ointment or cosmetic containers and are a mini version of a Greek wine jug (oenochoe). Not used for wine, it has no handle, its shape fits well in the hand making it easy to grip and it is idecorated with ribbing and grooved furrows) around its body.
This finely shaped red clay earthenware piece is less typical than other Roman bowls. Its thin walls are taller and lighter, and a red band circles it and angles inward a bit on the inside.
This ancient serving plate is remarkable for its survival, size, stamped designs and graceful simplicity. It is known as ARS (African Red Slip). Platters of this size are rare and, when they are found, they are usually in multiple broken pieces that have significant losses.
This thin-walled ancient Roman vessel is a beautiful work of art. Its has a delicate piriform (pear-shaped) body and fine relief designs of a rosette, lion and palm leaves surround it.
This is an excellent example of the daily-use utilitarian earthenware oinochoe created for the masses. . Its body is tapered and ribbed from the everted rim to just above the flat, wide foot making it stable and attractive. It was made using a potters wheel, seen by the circle marks on the bottom and the uniform ribbing.
An uncomplicated ancient earthenware cup wih no handle, this rests on a short foot. Its body curves upand rises to meet a neck topped with an everted rim to lessen spillage It has a wide mouth for easy drinking, and the rim two-tones: a slight terracotta red and its crème slip. Its shape is exquisite. Although there are expected minor chips and scratches, earth adherents and minor losses of the slip, it is in excellent condition, beautiful in its simplicity and one of our favorite pieces in the VA collection.
Made in the Roman North Africa, this ancient ceramic flagon was made for the lower classes and called coarse wear. Used to hydrate all kinds of people and on home altars to make offerings to domestic family deities, it is a common ancient pottery shape having a handle and an angled edge around the entire vessel.
A fine ancient Roman platter produced for upper classes from the mid-1st century to the 7th century, this is refined and delicate and has stamped decorative images in complex circles. Although rough areas with small losses remain, it is an ancient piece otherwise in very good condition that, especially considering its age and use, remains a remarkable surviving piece of history.
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