Un nouveau décorateur «Génial» de Lezoux et la collection des moules pour Sigillée gallo-romaine du Musée du Louvre

Abstract

Moulds and potters’ marks are primary sources for our understanding of the relief decorated terra sigillata production. In this paper the Gallo-roman terra sigillata moulds (for relief decorated bowls and goblets) from the collection of the Louvre are presented together with a signed fragment from a relief decorated terra sigillata bowl from Lezoux. Among the moulds several potters’ centres are represented: La Graufesenque, Les Martres-de-Veyre, Lezoux and Rheinzabern ranging chronologically from the Trajanic to the Antonine periods. These finds allow a better understanding of workshop activities, individual potter’s style and enrich the repertory of motifs and dies used by the decorators. The bowl fragment reveals the name of a Trajanic Lezoux potter Genialis. Based on this fragment, we can hitherto name a previously anonymous Lezoux potter (Potter X-5) and characterise better his activity as one of the early workshop leaders “advertising” himself by large marks stamped into the decoration.