Fabric and technology
Very fine buff or orange-brown fabric (7.5YR 7/4) with thin pale golden-brown (2.5YR 6/6) slip, which usually has a slight metallic sheen. Occasionally slightly micaceous, and with fine sand roughcasting on the interior. Mould-made, with relief decoration on exterior.
Forms
Small cups, Cam.~62, with a slightly carinated profile, which vary considerably in their details. Some have grooves below the rim, or a slight footring. Decoration in the general style of contemporary sigillata, but with much individual variation.
Chronology
Production may commence in the Tiberian period, but majority from c. AD 40-70.
Source
The southern Gaulish samian factories, particularly La Graufesenque and Montans.
Distribution
Wide but thin distribution in Gaul (particularly Aquitaine), the Rhineland and Switzerland; rare in Britain.
Aliases
Kent fine fabric 20b.
Bibliography
Greene 1979, 50-5; Greene 1972. Ohlenroth in Ettlinger and Simonett 1952, for the continental distribution. The evidence from La Graufesenque is described in Bémont 1982.
References
Bémont 1982. Bémont, C., ‘Fabrications de vases à parois fines à La Graufesenque’, ReiCretActa, 21-22, (1982), pp. 7-15.
Ettlinger and Simonett 1952. Ettlinger, E. and Simonett, C., Römische Keramik aus dem Schütthugel von Vindonissa, Veröff. Ges. Vindonissa, 3, Basel, (1952).
Greene 1972. Greene, K. T., ‘Seven pre-Flavian moulded cups from Britain’, ReiCretActa, 14-15, (1972-3), pp. 48-54.
Greene 1979. Greene, K. T., The pre-Flavian fine wares, Report on the excavations at Usk, 1965-1976, 1, University of Wales Press [for] the Board of Celtic Studies of the University of Wales,, Cardiff:, (1979).
