Tafelgeschirr - Römischer Tafelluxus

Description

Silver tableware as testimonial of a refined life style is found relatively rarely in the northern provinces of the empire. The dishes, which came to light in 1955 during construction work on the Roman street settlement in the middle of the Celtic oppidum of Manching, are unique in Bavaria. The trove was probably hidden in times of crisis around the middle of the third century and was never excavated again. The set of dishes for one person consists of a circular plate, a dinner tray, a small saucer and three spoons belonging to two different types. The larger shape with the pointed oval-shaped bowl was used for mushes, sweets and soups, the type with a round or pear-shaped bowl and pointed stem was reserved for enjoying seafood, snails and eggs. Finally, the ensemble contains a casserole dish and a cup that served as drinking vessels. The set is composed of vessels of different ages and the pieces show a varying degree of wear and tear. The oldest object is the oval tray which has its handle plates decorated with floral tendrils and dolphins and was created in c.100 AD. Of particular interest are some inscriptions and indications of weights on the pieces. The total weight of all objects is 1,884.4 grams and corresponds in value to over one third of the annual salary of a cavalry soldier of that time.