Roman amphora, 2nd century AD. Terracotta. With... Lot 39

Roman amphora, 2nd century AD. Terracotta. With iron support. Measures: 108 x 26 cm (diameter). The amphora is a type originating from Greek pottery, widely used in the Roman Empire, characterized by being a tall fusiform-shaped vessel, with a narrow neck and two openwork handles on the sides of it, usually ending in a point to place it sunk in the sandy soil or on an upright. It was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans as the main means of transporting and storing grapes, olives, olive oil, cereals, fish, wine and other commodities. However, during the Roman period it was also frequently used for funerary purposes, as a container for the ashes of the deceased. The average volume of an amphora was about 25-30 liters (one cubic foot); its weight and content, in an amphora filled with water, gave rise to the talent, as a measure of weight and also a monetary unit. The first Greek types had a continuous curved profile, while the more modern and Roman examples have a clearly differentiated upper part (neck and mouth) from the rest of the body. Some of these pieces, such as the famous Panathenaic Amphorae, had pictorial decorations, especially those of Greek origin. However, during the Roman Empire, due to the expansion of trade, their use was focused on the transport and storage of food, so they were usually simple, with no decoration other than modeling.