Terracotta Shards of an Amphora with a Handwritten Dedication

Culture: Roman

Period: 2nd century A.D.

Material: Terracotta

Dimensions: 14.4 cm x 13.8 cm

Price: Sold

Ref: 3510

Provenance: Collection Josef Wagner (1931-1999). Thence in a family estate. According to an inscription on the back of the shards found on 2 September 1986 during the construction of a new building in Kaiser-Josef-Platz 10 in Wels.

Condition: Both shards assembled. The inscription is well readable.

Description: Two assembled shards of a terracotta amphora from Ovilava, present Wels in Upper Austria. A two-line inscription in cursive Latin has been scratched onto the shards with a stylus. It reads: "SECCIUS DONA(…) – TAVRO TAMPIANO". The "T" behind "DONA" is not preserved, which should be read as "DONAT". Consequently, the translation reads: "Seccius donates this to Tauro Tampianus." The names Seccius and Taurus are well documented. However, the name Tampianus is very rare, if not unique. An important testimony of Roman everyday life inscription from present Austria.