Phocaean red slip (PRS) is a category of ''

terra sigillata Terra sigillata is a term with at least three distinct meanings: as a description of medieval medicinal earth; in archaeology, as a general term for some of the fine red ancient Roman pottery with glossy surface Slip (ceramics), slips made ...

'', or "fine"

Ancient Roman pottery Pottery was produced in enormous quantities in ancient Rome, mostly for utilitarian purposes. It is found all over the former Roman Empire and beyond. Monte Testaccio is a huge mound, waste mound in Rome made almost entirely of broken amphorae u ...

produced in or near the ancient city of

Phokaia Phocaea or Phokaia (Ancient Greek: Φώκαια, ''Phókaia''; modern-day Foça in Turkey) was an ancient Ionian Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia. Greek colonists from Phocaea founded the colony of Massalia (modern-day Marseille, in F ...

in Asia Minor. It is recognizable by its thin reddish

slip Slip or The Slip may refer to: * Slip (clothing), an underdress or underskirt Music * The Slip (band), a rock band * ''Slip'' (album), a 1993 album by the band Quicksand * ''The Slip'' (album) (2008), a.k.a. Halo 27, the seventh studio al ...

over a fine fabric, often with occasional white (

lime Lime most commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Bo ...

) inclusions. The main period of production is the late 4th century AD into the 7th century, contemporary to the later production of

African red slip African red slip ware, also African Red Slip or ARS, is a category of '' terra sigillata'', or "fine" Ancient Roman pottery produced from the mid-1st century AD into the 7th century in the province of Africa Proconsularis, specifically that pa ...

. All forms are open bowls or dishes. Later forms have stamped decoration. The most widely used typology was defined by John Hayes in his book ''Late Roman Pottery'', where the ware is called "Late Roman C" according to the name given by Frederick Waagé in his publication of the

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; , ) "Antioch on Daphne"; or "Antioch the Great"; ; ; ; ; ; ; . was a Hellenistic Greek city founded by Seleucus I Nicator in 300 BC. One of the most important Greek cities of the Hellenistic period, it served as ...

excavations. The supplement to that volume established the name "Phocaean Red Slip". Hayes form 3 and Hayes form 10 are the most widely exported forms, appearing in the western Mediterranean and also in the British Isles.

Table of Common Forms

References

* Hayes, John. (1972). ''Late Roman Pottery''. London: British School at Rome (hardcover, ) * Hayes, John. (1980). "A supplement to Late Roman Pottery". London: British School at Rome.

External links

Phocaean Red Slip in ''Greek, Roman and Byzantine Pottery at Ilion''
Ancient Roman pottery History of İzmir Province {{Greece-archaeology-stub