Roman Pottery

The Potteries

  • Arretine Ware was a red-glazed Pottery made in Factories at Arretium, modern Arrezo, Puteoli and the River Po, which supplied the whole Roman Empire.
  • Subsidiaries were later set up in Gaul, where there was also good clay, to be closer to their markets.
  • Each piece bears the stamp of the manufacturer and sometimes of the individual craftsman.
  • The highly skilled craftsman (designer) was either a Freedman or a Slave. They often had Greek names.
  • Some factories had up to 40 craftsmen or designers.
  • The owner had Roman Citizenship, and was often from parents who were Roman Slaves. Some may have been craftsmen who began as slaves, became Freedmen, and eventually bought the factory from their master.

Clay Lamps

  • These were produced in molds from cheap clay by unskilled local potters.
  • They were produced by the million each year, and copied from various designs popular in Rome.

 

Arrezo

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