Object Description
A Roman redware bowl decorated with moulded relief to the inside. The vessel features gently sloping walls, creating a shallow bowl, which rests on a small foot. Inside are two figures; a male to the left and a female to the right. The male figure appears clothed, a swirling cloak about his shoulders. He holds a long staff in one hand and is crowned with a garland wreath. The staff in his hands and the garland across his head would suggest that this figure is Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and ecstasy. He gazes upon the female figure, who is animated in her composition. She appears with her right hand raised, holding a wreath above her head. She is dressed in a flowing ‘chiton’ which gathers around her feet. Her torso leans backwards, giving an elegant curve to her spine. The pose, along with her raised wreath would suggest she is a maenad, amidst the throes of an ecstatic dance. The bowl itself is typical of the African redware style, and of a similar size and design to similar wares. The bowl is made with terra sigillata technique of north African provenance and constituted a precious kind of fine ware, reserved for the elites as a way to display prestige at banquets and dinner parties.
Date: Circa 4th – 5th century