Roman Samian Ware Bowl Rim Dragendorff 31 Terra Sigillata COA

Description

This listing is for the exact Roman Samian ware bowl-rim fragment shown in the photographs. The sherd is identified as part of a Dragendorff 31 bowl and is attributed to the mid second to early third century AD. Samian ware, also known as terra sigillata, is one of the most recognisable fine ceramic traditions of the Roman world.

Samian pottery was produced in specialised workshops, particularly in Gaul, and distributed widely across the Roman provinces. Its carefully prepared clay body and glossy red slip gave vessels a refined appearance that contrasted with coarser domestic wares. Bowls, dishes, cups and decorated forms were traded over long distances and used at settlements, forts, towns and rural sites.

The Dragendorff classification is a standard typological system used by archaeologists to describe Samian vessel forms. Form 31 is a plain bowl with a characteristic profile and rim. Rim fragments are especially useful because the angle, thickness and shape of the surviving edge can help identify the original vessel even when most of the pot is absent. This fragment therefore retains diagnostic information about a complete bowl that once served at a Roman table.

Terra sigillata was made from fine clay and coated with a refined slip before firing in carefully controlled oxidising conditions. The process produced the characteristic red or orange-red colour and a smooth, sometimes lustrous surface. Variation in colour, slip preservation and firing can reflect workshop practices, use, burial and soil chemistry. The exposed broken edge allows the ceramic fabric beneath the slip to be examined.

Please inspect every photograph carefully. They show the actual Roman pottery fragment you will receive, not a stock image or substitute. The views document the rim profile, red slip, ceramic body, curvature, broken edges, surface wear, deposits and any surviving manufacturing details. Full sizing is shown in the photographs, so use the pictured scale or measurements to understand the fragment’s dimensions and thickness.

A sherd such as this provides direct evidence for Roman dining habits, trade and pottery production. Samian vessels were widely transported, and their forms changed through time, making them valuable for dating archaeological deposits. Dragendorff 31 bowls belong within this well-studied sequence and are familiar finds on Roman-period sites in Britain and continental Europe.

This piece would suit collections of Roman pottery, Samian ware, terra sigillata, archaeological type specimens and ancient domestic objects. It is also useful for education because it shows how specialists identify incomplete vessels from diagnostic rims and fabrics. The fragment can be displayed with the curved edge oriented to suggest the original bowl profile.

A generic certificate of authenticity with a lifetime authenticity guarantee is included. Keep the certificate and identification information with the sherd to preserve its provenance and study value. It will be packed carefully for transit.

The exact Dragendorff 31 Samian bowl-rim fragment pictured is the item that will be supplied. Its diagnostic form, characteristic Roman red slip and second- to early third-century date give it strong archaeological and collecting interest.