Ceramics home: Roman fineware.

Roman fineware

For eating and drinking, Roman Londoners used pottery with a much better finish than contemporary coarsewares. Made from more refined clay, these finewares were often coated with colourful slips. Painted or trailed clay designs (barbotine) were frequently added before firing. The Museum's fineware collection is large, illustrating many different styles.

Samian or metalwork often influenced the design of finewares. Some potters made samian-type bowls that were black rather than red (see London ware). Others produced distinctive flagons and pans that were sprinkled with gold-coloured mica so as to gleam like copper (see Local Mica-dusted wares).

Many fineware factories concentrated on beakers and flagons, shapes that were seldom produced in samian. Globular beakers, tapering to a narrow mouth, were especially popular from the late 2nd century onwards. They were richly decorated with mottos and floral or animal scenes.

In the 1st and 2nd centuries, finewares were mostly imported from specialised factories in Gaul or Germany. Later, London was supplied by British industries that often produced coarsewares as well. Oxfordshire, for instance, supplied white mortaria alongside red tablewares that extended the samian tradition into the 4th century.

Featured types

Central Gaulish and Rhenish wares (43 - 410)

London wares (43 - 410)

Local Mica-dusted wares (43 - 410)

Lyon and other first century imported wares (43 - 410)

Colchester wares (43 - 410)

Nene Valley wares (43 - 410)

Related objects

There are 291 related objects.

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14304ci vessel. Roman	14304cj vessel. Roman	14304ck vessel. Roman	14304cl vessel. Roman
14304cm vessel. Roman	14304cn vessel. Roman	14304co vessel. Roman	14304cp vessel. Roman
14304cq vessel. Roman	14304cr vessel. Roman	14304cs vessel. Roman	14304ct vessel. Roman
14304cu vessel. Roman	14304cv vessel. Roman	14304cw vessel. Roman	14304cx vessel. Roman
14304cy vessel. Roman	14304cz vessel. Roman	14305d vessel. Roman	14305n vessel. Roman
14305o vessel. Roman	14305q vessel. Roman	14305r vessel. Roman	14305s vessel. Roman

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