Saucepan (patella) of Eggers form 137 (Type E 137), tinned bronze, Roman Empire, c. 50-120 AD

 

This Roman kitchen and dining vessel represents the form of a patella (deep saucepan), classified in archaeological typology as Eggers form 137. The object dates from the early Roman Empire, specifically to the second half of the 1st century or the beginning of the 2nd century AD (approximately 50–120 AD), corresponding to the chronological period from the reign of Emperor Nero to the Flavian dynasty and Emperor Trajan. The saucepan was crafted using a tinned bronze casting technique in a provincial Roman workshop, located in Gaul or Germania Inferior, modeled after products from Campanian manufacturers in the Capua region. The tin coating on the inner walls of the vessel was intended to protect prepared food from direct contact with copper and the formation of toxic compounds.

After casting, the vessel underwent finishing on an ancient lathe. This process left technological marks on the underside in the form of three profiled, symmetrical concentric circles with a central indentation from the centering pin, which served to stiffen and stabilize the base. The entire object's surface is covered with a natural patina, locally a rough malachite patina of a green-grey color, formed as a result of corrosion in a soil environment.

The patella's handle terminates in a transverse, plastic roll, formed by representations of two opposing, stylized bird heads. Below the roll is a trefoil perforation in the shape of a clover, originally used for hanging the vessel. At the base of the handle, where it joins the bowl's body, there are two symmetrical, plastic lugs in the form of stylized bird heads, whose curved beaks rest on the vessel's rim. The handle's surface is smooth and bears no traces of stamped names or foundry marks, indicating serial production by provincial workshops supplying Roman legions on the Limes. Our object is preserved in its entirety, without modern losses, mechanical cracks, or signs of reconstruction.

Time of creationc. years 50-120
OriginTinned bronze
Technique

Chasing, Casting, Turning

MaterialTinned bronze
DimensionsHeight: 8.2 cm
Rim diameter: 18 cm
Total length of the bowl with handle: 30.2 cm
Weight1.60 kg