Roman Samian Ware. 237 



ing her bow in one hand and a hare in the other, are evidently 

 from old dies belonging to an earlier period; but in the middle 

 is a group of figures, copied in our cut, No. 8, representing 

 Victory, holding a palm branch, and crowning with a wreath a 

 warrior who wears the paludamentum, or military garment, 

 over a tunic. He appears to have a helmet on his head 

 adorned with a plume. In fact, the costume and the Byzan- 

 tine character of art displayed in the design, cannot be 

 referred to a period more remote than the fifth century. It 

 will be seen, by a single glance at the original, that this group 

 belongs to a period entirely different from that of the figures 

 by which it is surrounded. 



Before leaving the subject, it will be well to remark that, 

 besides the continental red ware above described under the 

 name of Samian, examples have been found of an attempt to 

 imitate it. This imitation pottery was probably made in 

 England, and is not found in any abundance. It is lighter in 

 colour, and has a duller glaze than the true Samian ware, 

 which, however, it resembles in its forms. It is generally 

 plain, but Mr. Roach Smith has given, in his Collectanea, 

 engravings of two very curious attempts to imitate the 

 embossed ornaments of the Samian ware. One of these 

 (Gollectan. vol. i. p. 159), found at Castor, in Northampton- 

 shire, by Mr. Artis, was a piece of a bowl, the design upon 

 which was evidently copied, but very unsuccessfully, from a 

 Samian ware model. The other (Gollectan. vol. iv. p. 68) was 

 found at Oundle, in Northamptonshire. Mr. Smith describes 

 it as made of a light red clay, glazed within and without with 

 a thin reddish-brown and somewhat lustrous glaze. In sub- 

 stance it is not so compact and hard as the Samian ware ; but 

 the figures are equally well executed with the best of the 

 usual Samian ware designs. The mark of the potter's name, 

 stamped on the external side, is OF'LIBERTI. 



