TJie Roman Potteries at Duroorivoe. 459 



first carefully loose-packed "with, the articles to be fired up to 

 the height of the side walls. The circumference of the bulk 

 was then gradually diminished, and finished in the shape of a 

 dome. As this arrangement progressed, an attendant seems 

 to have followed the packer and thinly covered a layer of pots 

 with coarse hay or grass. He then took some thin clay, the 

 size of his hand, and laid it flat on the grass upon the vessels; 

 he then placed more grass on the edge of the clay just laid on, 

 and then more clay, and so on until he had completed the 

 circle. By this time the packer would have raised another 

 tier of pots, the plasterer following as before, hanging the 

 grass over the top edge of the last layer of plasters, until he 

 had reached the top, in which a small aperture was left, and 

 the clay nipt round the edge ; another coating wonld be laid 

 on as before described. Gravel or loam was then thrown up 

 against the side wall, where the clay wrappers were com- 

 menced, probably to secure the bricks and the clay coating. 

 The kiln was then fired with. wood. In consequence of the 

 care taken to place grass between the edges of the wrappers, 

 they could be unpacked in the same size pieces as when laid 

 on in a plastic state, and thus the danger in breaking the 

 crust to obtain the contents of the kiln could be obviated."* 



This Durobrivian pottery has an especial interest for us, 

 because it is covered with ornaments and figures, raised in 

 relief like those on the Samian ware, but not like it cast from 

 moulds. " The vessels," Mr. Artis remarks, " after being 

 thrown upon the wheel, would be allowed to become some- 

 what firm, but only sufficiently so for the purpose of the lathe. 

 In the indented ware, the indenting would have to be per- 

 formed with the vessel in as pliable a state as it could be taken 

 from the lathe." The ornamenter then took a slip of rather 

 liquid material, and with an implement made for the purpose, 

 formed all the ornaments and figures with the hand. The slip 

 used for this purpose was often white, which was laid on a 

 dark ground. " The vessels, on which are displayed a variety 

 of hunting subjects, representations of fishes, scrolls, and 

 human figures, were all glazed after the figures were laid on ; 

 where, however, the decorations are white, the vessels were 

 glazed before the ornaments were added. Ornamenting with 

 figures of animals was effected by means of sharp and blunt 

 skewery instruments, and a slip of suitable consistency. These 

 instruments seem to have been of two kinds : one thick enough 

 to carry sufficient slip for the nose, neck, body, and front thigh; 

 the other of a more delicate kind, for a thinner .slip for the 

 tongue, lower jaws, eye, fore and, hind legs, and tail. There 



* Journal of the British Archceological Association, vol. i. pp. 3 — 5. 



