This early 20th century amphora style vase originates from Reading, England.
The town is located near Silchester, a once ancient Roman inland port where many remnants of the famed civilisation’s pottery have been found.
This specific vase has an elongated neck and a shorter, more stout body with an almost winged pair of handles, both longer and wider for its size and unusual shape.
The amphora may have been painted black to imitate the classical forms of early Roman or likely Etruscan pottery, as it was once characteristically black before the Romans developed a style of their own.
Iron is black when no oxygen is present, so in a kiln, air supply during firing would be cut off, disallowing the iron in the clay to oxidise and turn red.
*Our pieces at Studio Zagara may show signs of age and wear, which is just how we like them. They carry with them years of history, so any imperfections should not be viewed as damaged or flawed, but rather the combined stories of people’s lives and experiences.
