Ancient Roman Terracotta Juglet, Southern France - c.50-250 AD

An ancient Roman ceramic jug of compact form with a curved handle, short neck, and slightly everted rim. The upper body is decorated with incised linear banding created by pressing a narrow tool into the wet clay, forming shallow recessed lines around the circumference.

The vessel is of utilitarian manufacture with additional non-decorative tool marks visible on the lower body. The surface retains earth encrustations within recessed areas and remains intact in an unrestored condition.
The juglet is complete, with the exception of a small shallow chip to the rim exposing the underlying fabric - a coarse orange interior typical of Roman domestic wares.

Excavated in Southern France (Roman Gaul), the specimen originates from one of the most historically significant provinces of the Roman Empire. Gaul was a major cultural and economic region, heavily integrated into Roman administration following its conquest in the 1st century BC, and played a key role in the development of Roman provincial life in Western Europe.

The piece is accompanied by a folded newspaper dated 4th October 1991, used as protective wrapping paper at the time of previous acquisition, providing a small piece of collection history and provenance. 

Specimen Details:

Specimen: Terracotta Juglet 

Age/Era: Roman Imperial, c.50-300 AD - c. 1,800–2,000 years old

Material/Technique: Ceramic, Kiln-Fired

Dimensions: ~ 70mm tall, 54mm wide, 25mm across rim, 27mm across base  (all to widest points)

Origin: Roman Gaul, Roman province of Gallia (Southern France) 

Provenance: From a collector of Roman antiquities based in Campbeltown, Scotland (D.Hart), Acquired in 1991.