CERAMICS

Crypta Balbi illustrates the urban culture of Rome in the period from the year one thousand to the fifteenth century. Here we can find different types of tableware, as well as kitchen utensils and supplies needed for travelling, which are made out of clay. There are ceramic pots, vases, plates and even figures.   Some of those are lovely decorated with patterns, geometrical figures or animal representations.

Figure 1

(Figure 1, XI century)

The bowls that are presented in the exhibition were probably used to serve food on the table. Bowls are very high, have a round shape and two handles on the side. At the bottom of the bowls there are depicted birds.

The one on the right, which was preserved better, shows a blue coloured bird shown in profile. It has a rhombus on its chest with a smaller rhombus and cross inside. The artist also depicted a landscape, which is making a circle on the inner side of the bowl. There are two leaves, which also might present wings. The one on the left has squared patterns and the leaf on the right is only patterned half way.

The bowl on the left also shows a bird, with a different style. Parts of the bird’s body are more recognizable. The bird is also coloured blue and as feathers the artist drew horizontal lines on the bird’s body. This bird is also depicted in profile, so we see only one wing that has a dark brown outline and brown patterns on the wing. Next to the bird there is a decoration that can remind one of a tree or a bush. It looks like trunk with four branches on each side.

Figure 2

 Kitchenware mostly required an earthen cooking pot (Figure 2), which was placed on a tripod over the fire. Probably it was used to cook soups. Another type of pottery called “testo” (Figure 3), had a shape of a bell that was covered with embers to make a small oven for cooking cakes, pies and bread. The demand for pottery was increasing in Rome, and towards the tenth century, technique and shape standardization took place. For keeping water, the Romans would use an amphora (Figure 4), that had thin walls and long handles. But after the eleventh century it disappeared, probably because the water distribution system was built.

Elena Migurenko