olla, quadriansata su alto piede

This is an olla, a type of storage vessel, from the Early Christian period. Its form is deliberate and dignified: a thickened, everted rim, a long cylindrical neck, and an ovoid body rising from a tall, trumpet-shaped foot. Four ribbon-like handles are set obliquely at the point of the vessel's widest girth, each ornamented with paired ram’s horns, a motif that suggests strength and pastoral abundance. The entire surface is covered with incised geometric patterns, arranged in parallel horizontal bands that alternate with plain, reserved zones. This kind of decoration, typical of the period, reflects a taste for ordered, repeating design rather than narrative imagery. Early Christian pottery often drew on late Roman traditions, adapting them to new symbolic and functional needs. The olla would have been used for storing wine, oil, or grain, mundane tasks elevated by the care of its making. It is a quiet, practical object, but one that speaks of continuity and craft in a time of profound change.

Description via source. Coordinates and heritage data from the Atika atlas.