Roman Terracotta One-Handled Jar - 76 mm

Roman Terracotta One-Handled Jar
Culture / Period: Roman Imperial
Date / Period: 1st–2nd century A.D.
Material: Terracotta
Dimensions: 76 mm
Condition: Restored, with age-related surface wear and deposits. The vessel is substantially complete, with visible restoration consistent with its archaeological nature.

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Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 995
The current owner (S.N.J. S.) purchased the jar from P. vd V. in Steyl, the Netherlands.
The previous owner, P. vd V. from Steyl, stated that the object had been in his collection since the 1990s.
According to the previous owner, the object had previously been part of a private collection in the Netherlands since the 1990s.
No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object was available from the previous owner.

Background Information:
This small Roman terracotta vessel has a rounded body, short neck, thickened rim, small foot and a single loop handle extending from the shoulder to the rim. Its compact size and practical form indicate a vessel intended for handling and serving relatively small quantities of liquid or other contents, although its precise original use cannot be determined with certainty.

Pottery vessels of this general character formed an essential part of Roman domestic material culture. Ceramic containers were used throughout households, workshops, taverns and military communities for preparing, storing and serving food and drink. Small handled vessels offered a convenient combination of portability and controlled pouring or drinking and were produced in numerous regional forms.

The vessel was wheel-made, reflecting the organised ceramic industries that supplied Roman settlements during the Imperial period. Potters produced standardised functional wares in large quantities, while differences in clay composition, firing and profiles reflected regional workshops and traditions. Ceramic vessels and their contents circulated through extensive local and regional trade networks throughout the Roman provinces.

Dating to the 1st–2nd century A.D., this jar belongs to the early Roman Imperial period, when towns, rural settlements and military centres were connected by highly developed systems of production and exchange. As an everyday utilitarian vessel, it provides a tangible connection to Roman domestic life and to the ordinary activities of the people who handled such pottery almost two thousand years ago.