Vindolanda Head Pot 002A
Vindolanda Head Pot 002A
Vindolanda Head Pot 002A

Vindolanda Head Pot 002A

Regular price £120.00 Sale price£90.00
/
Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.

  • Low stock - 1 item left
  • Inventory on the way
*Tax inclusions only apply to UK orders. Local taxes might be applied on receipt of international orders.

Details 

Seeing an ancient face staring back at you from a museum display is a real thrill; it is one of the main reasons that we adore replicating this sought-after style of Roman pottery. Head pots were widely used throughout Roman Britain and are some of the most striking ceramic items produced during Roman rule, and seem to have been a speciality of Romano-British potters. 

The almost caricature-like features of these pots were individually modelled onto beautifully wheel-thrown jars. A fairly unusual method of working for the Romans, who often preferred the quicker convenience of mould decoration. 

Believed to have been introduced to Britain by the Roman army, there have been many head pots discovered in the Colchester area where there was likely a prolific production site. 

Today you can see some truly superb examples of head pots on display in Colchester museum, and we have used these rich examples to inspire this replica. However, they are not limited to Colchester, and there have been a significant number of head potsherd found along Hadrian's wall.  

Their function and significance is, as of yet, not fully understood. Many, but by no means all, head pots have smith tools on them, suggesting a link to the God Vulcan. There have also been a number of these pots found in burial settings leading some to believe that this was their main usage. However, the majority have been found in settlement sites, so they were more likely to be used prominently in a domestic setting, perhaps for food storage.  

Materials

Earthenware, reduction fired. 

Dimensions

Approx. 240 mm tall, 180 mm diameter

Production

As with all our Museum Quality Replicas, we have made this pot, as the original would have been, entirely by hand from natural clay and using replicas of the types of tool that the ancient makers would have used. As each pot varies, you may not receive the same cup in the image, but you can be sure that your pot will be one of a kind due to the variations caused by the firing process. 

Health and Safety

This pot is a Museum Quality Replica made using the tools and techniques that ancient potters would have used during this era. As this is an unglazed pot with a porous surface, it will absorb some of the flavours during the cooking process or when used as food storage, which does add to the taste of future dishes. However, it does also mean that this pot does not meet modern Health and Safety standards, and therefore, we do not advise that you use it for cooking or storing foodstuffs. When ancient cooks used these pots, they relied on applying sufficient heat to the pot and contents to ensure that the heat-killed all bacteria. Heating to over 70°C for at least 10 minutes would have killed most disease-causing bacteria, and temperatures of 100°C would do even more.  

Postage

All items are sent using a second class postal service; if you wish to have an item sent first class, please contact me for a quote. Many Thanks

 

SHIPPING
We ship our fabulous replicas worldwide.
Shipping costs are worked out during checkout. They are based on where you are in the world and how heavy your parcel is, which can be very variable.

All items are sent using a second-class postal service. If you wish to have an item sent first class, please contact us for a quote. Many Thanks

RETURNS
If you aren't completely satisfied with your Potted History piece, please get in touch to organise a return. Email us at

clare@rothburycreates.co.uk

Then you can send it back at your own cost in an unused condition within 30 days, and we'll refund you for the cost of the item or items returned. If you include your order number with the returned package, that will speed things up. Please leave any original packaging intact.

Our returns address is:
Potted History, Gregory Court, Rothbury, Northumberland, NE65 7SW

PRODUCT VARIATION

Please be aware that due to items being handmade and finished, colour variations will occur during the making process, and each replica will have some differences.  Also, know that the item photographed may not be the one that you receive, and colours can appear differently on different screens.  Please ensure you look at all the images to get a fully formed idea of the item you are ordering as we try to capture the variations within the images we share.  If you prefer a specific colour variation, please contact us before ordering. 

Don't take our word for it

Hello Graham and Sarah, I wanted to message because I ordered your holy grail pot for my dad's birthday and he is over the moon with it.

Rachel Frankish

Many thanks again for all of the pottery - this will help bring our new Heritage learning programme to life!

Nottingham University Museum

I love it! I love everything about it, what it represents, why you made it and the history behind it. It was worth the wait! Thank you so much.

Gillian Castle