Large Roman Pottery Transport Amphora w/ Barnacles

Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 2nd to 4th century CE. A sizable, wheel-thrown pottery transport amphora with a slender nubbin base, a globular body with relatively smooth surfaces, a gently tapered neck, and a thick, collared rim surrounding the mouth, all covered in thick barnacles and various sea encrustations. The uniform handles projecting from the shoulders enabled this vessel to be easily carried on and off of naval vessels, as was the typical means of transporting dozens if not hundreds of amphorae like this example at any one time. Utilitarian transport vessels like this example were typically not adorned with painted decorations or applied details, though some display stamped markings denoting the materials contained within. The piriform body would have held gallons of wine or precious oils used to sustain legions of Roman troops which traveled and settled in most of Western Europe and Britain. Size: 12" Diameter x 31.25" H (30.5 cm x 79.4 cm)

Lacking its cork and pitch stopper, the original contents of this amphora are unknown; based on the globular size and shape, it was most likely used to transport olive oil (smaller ones were for stewed fruit or salted fish, while larger ones were used for wine). Amphorae formed the basis of the Roman economy as storage vessels for transporting goods throughout the Empire, with examples found from North Africa to Britain. The pointed base on this one is standard and was intended for storage in Roman warehouses in soft ground and for transport on ships by placing it through a specially designed rack and roping it through the handles to others. This vessel likely came from North Africa, a major site of olive oil production (alongside Spain and France) in the Roman economy. This oil was used for cooking, lighting, and, in some cases, bathing; one estimate suggests that each Roman legion consumed 1370 amphorae of olive oil per year!

Cf. an earlier example at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 74.51.355

Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, before 2010

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#161471
Condition Report: Possible repair or restoration to small area of rim, with one stable fissure indicating area of possible repair, and white encrusted material - not as a result of prolonged sea exposure - over repaired or restored area if present. Nicks to foot, handles, neck, and rim, with abrasions and heavy encrustations across most surfaces. Great preservation to overall form. Old inventory label taped to one side of body.