Casgliadau Arlein

The form is rounded rather than angular, though the rim is lost, so its angle is unknown. The central moulding is narrow and bordered by fairly small and close set beads. The design is indistinctly moulded, especially on the remaining portion of the lower zone of decoration, and may have been made in a worn mould. The upper zone has a simple scroll with heart shaped leaves, a three lobed bud or flower, and four beaded tendril bindings. The lower zone is a leaf scroll, of which one finely toothed leaf survives. All the motifs appear in work stamped by Licinus, the toothed leaf is detail 21, the bud 31 and the cordiform leaf 28. Apart from the tendril bidnings there are close similarities between our sherd and Knorr 1919, Taf. 45, A. Another early peice which has the triple bud is a vessel illustrated by Hawkes and Hull. The parallels should indicate a Claudian date, but the fabric is not characteristically early, and the nature of the moulding also suggests a slightly late period.

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