Terra sigillata bowl

‘Terra sigillata’ (lit. ‘sealed earth’) is a type of luxury Roman pottery. It is easy to recognise from its colour, which ranges from sealing-wax red to brownish-red or orange-brown, and from its shiny quality. Terra sigillata was produced throughout Roman times in centres scattered around the Roman Empire. It was never produced in the Netherlands, however, and most pieces made in this technique that have been found in this country come from France or Germany. Since they were thrown on a potter’s wheel, using moulds, they could be mass produced. This bowl, from the first half of the 2nd century AD, was found in Voorburg, the location of a city named Forum Hadriani in Roman times. It was made in Trier, Germany.