In the Roman galleries of many museums, you are likely to see samian ware -the red, glossy, fine ware imported into Britain from Gaul (France) during the first and third centuries AD. If compared with the dull, coarse grey ware cooking pots displayed alongside, it is logical to conclude that samian ware was special. It was the expensive, prestige tableware of rich households, the 'best china1 which contained the exotic food of the Roman Empire - figs, walnuts, lentils, and meat cooked in garum, the famous fish sauce. The distinctive red surface was achieved by dipping the pot into a slip of refined liquid clay, purified through a succession of filters, which was then fired with up to 30,000 vessels in a massive kiln - a time-consuming and highly skilled process. It was also personal, with many vessels stamped with the name of the potter. The ware was also incredibly well used.
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