Fragment of a Mold for Arretine Bowl

27 BC - AD 14

Fragment of a Mold for Arretine Bowl, 27 BC - AD 14. Italy, Roman. Terracotta; overall: 5.2 cm (2 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust 1916.2010 Showing a young man and woman reclining, probably at a symposium, this fragment comes from a mold that would have been used to produce relief-decorated terracotta bowls. For less affluent consumers, such products may have served as affordable alternatives to costlier versions made with precious metal. Arretine ware takes its name from Arretium (modern Arezzo, Italy), a major production site.