Wednesday, 17 February 2010

Pots I've Borrowed from Museums

Matt, here's some you'd like: These date from the time when I was making repros for an archaeologicist, museums, and for re-enactment groups.

Roman.
Roman Bottle, unglazed. A real beauty, I didn't want to give it back.

Samian ware bowl, terra sigillata, decorated with various erotic scenes, press moulded, made in northern France  (Gaul, home to Asterix and Obelix!)
Found at  the site of a Roman fort, The archaeologist said to me, Just imagine the scene, A centurion, returning from leave, pulls this bowl out of his kitbag, "Hey lads!" he says, in latin "See what I got in Gaul!", and the raucous laughter and jests as it's passed around the guard-room. Maybe he lost it, later on, in a bet, to a decurion from Iberia.
Bronze Age pot. Burnished decoration, the 'handle' is made by pinching through the side of the pot, and adding fresh clay. I suspect it's for attaching a cord. The museum's store had at least twenty of these, uncracked, looking as if they could have been made just last week.

"Once out of nature I shall never take
My bodily form from any natural thing,
But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make
Of hammered gold and gold enamelling
To keep a drowsy Emperor awake;
Or set upon a golden bough to sing
To lords and ladies of Byzantium
Of what is past, or passing, or to come."


2 comments:

  1. Oooooooww ooooooow ooooooooww, look at them beauties! I remember you telling me about that samian ware bowl, I like the foot ring on it and that bronze age pot is stunning. I wish i'd made it! Quality posts yet again Mr Soub. Very exciting, you got the kiln in yet?

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  2. Somewhere I'll find pics of the samian ware bowl I ate my cornflakes out of for a couple of months...It wasn't busted, unlike the pornflake bowl.

    The bronze agers had me spellbound, because I always imagined a bronze age pot would be crude, yet these weren't, they were products of real skill, yet relaxed, look at that burnish, I imagine doing it with the back of a teaspoon!

    Kiln... Watch this space!

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