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 slips made in specific areas of the Roman Empire; and more recently, as a description of a contemporary studio pottery technique supposedly inspired by ancient pottery. Usually roughly translated as 'sealed earth', the meaning of 'terra sigillata' is 'clay bearing little images', not 'clay with a sealed (impervious) surface'. The archaeological term is applied, however, to plain-surfaced pots as well as those decorated with figures in relief, because it does not refer to the decoration but to the makers stamp impressed in the bottom of the vessel.
Terrasigillata is a term with at least three distinct meanings: as a description of medieval medicinal earth; in archaeology, as a general term for some
regions of the Empire (Eastern Sigillata wares), while the Iberian provinces also had local industries producing terrasigillata hispanica, which had some
only 10% from Arezzo. Terrasigillata cup found in the site of the encampment It is also the first time that matched sigillata services have been described
development of fine Ancient Roman pottery, especially African Red Slip terrasigillata tableware and clay oil lamp manufacture, as a crucial industry. Lamps
usage, in which the term terrasigillata refers to a whole class of pottery, in contemporary ceramic art, 'terrasigillata' describes only a watery refined
From zegel (“seal”) + aarde (“earth”), calque of Latin terrasigillāta. IPA(key): /ˈzeː.ɣəlˌaːr.də/ Hyphenation: ze‧gel‧aar‧de zegelaarde f (plural zegelaarden)
