204 Field Museum of Natural History — Anth., Vol. VII. 



The upper of the two principal zones is decorated with a conven- 

 tionalized vegetable spray, from either side of which spring spirals 

 terminating within in a four-leaved rosette. The field between the 

 spirals contains alternately a similar rosette and a branch, which also 

 springs from the main stem and bears at the end two knobs repre- 

 senting berries or fruit. 



A little to the right of the center of the portion of the zone shown in the photo- 

 graph (Plate CLVII) two of the upper scrolls are separated by a sharp angle rather 

 than by the usual broad curve above the lower scroll. This somewhat awkward 

 arrangement was necessitated by the fact that the circumference contained the 

 design a fraction more than a whole number of times. 



Excepting the rosettes, which are made with a punch, this band, as is evident 

 from slight inequalities, is traced by hand. Cf Dechelette, op. cit. Vol. i, p. 70. 



Between these zones there is a plain convex molding with a row 

 of beading at either side. Above them there is a narrow angular 

 molding, which is ornamented on each surface with oblique hatching. 

 The wider convex part of the bowl which follows is also covered with 

 similar hatching. The rounded lip is undecorated. 



On the inside, just beneath the lip, there is a convex surface corre- 

 sponding to the hatched convex band on the outside. In the center of 

 the bottom there is the impression of a stamp, consisting of a small in- 

 dented circle, within which in raised letters is the name of the maker 

 VITALIS. The stamp is encircled by a broad band consisting of 

 minute indentations, which appear to have been caused by roughness 

 of the surface on which the bowl was supported during the process of 

 firing. Beyond there are three pairs of fine encircling grooves im- 

 perfectly executed. 



Though the name of the potter Vitalis has been found on other 

 vases of Italian provenance, it has been shown by the excavations 

 and researches of comparatively recent years that the place of fabri- 

 cation of his wares was in the south of France, at Graufenesque (Dept. 

 of Aveyron), the ancient Condatomagus. From the extensive re- 

 mains of potteries which have been found there it is evident that 

 the industry was most flourishing in the first century A. D., and from 

 the considerable number of Gallic stamps found in Italy it is plain 

 that this ware was then competing for the Italian market. 



In Italy the red-glaze molded vases had been manufactured for 

 over two centuries, particularly at Arretium (the modern Arezzo) 

 whence the name 'Arretine,' which has been applied to all similar fab- 

 rics, though now it is usual to limit its use to the vases of Arretium, 

 while the ware in general is called terra sigillata. 



The vases of Italian fabric differed from the Gallo-Roman chiefly 

 in that the color was a less deep red and that there was a preference 



