This bowl, found in Israel, conforms to Roman styles of ceramic manufacture. Its simple appearance belies the centuries of ceramic development that are embodied in such a vessel. Its pedestal base lies below a sweeping breadth, capped by a slightly carinated lip. Whether it is an imported item, or the work of a local craftsman schooled in Roman styles, it is also a witness to the presence of Roman culture in Israel, proliferating in ever greater circles from the time of Sextus Pompey onwards, influencing Israelite culture in both positive and negative ways.As we hold it in our hands today, admiring its simple beauty, we are aware of the touch of other hands long ago. Who might have held it when it was new? Were the dreams and emotions that guided their lives so very different from our own? The vessel's graceful unadorned shape appeals as much to the contemporary eye as it did to the culture that created it. Such artifacts, ordinary enough in their own age, connect us in an intimate way with the world of the past. In its presence, the centuries melt away and the imagination sets out on a journey of discovery. - (SP.264)

Antiquities
Ancient Roman