What IS Terra Sigillata?
Terra sigillata is a slip made of super fine particles of clay that will take a burnish. Its rich, reddish hue is due to a concentration of iron oxide in the clay. “Terra sigillata” is Latin for”sealed earth”, (not from the burnishing, but from its origins). The original terra sigillata clays , thought to have medicinal qualities, were dug on the island of Lemnos (located in the Northern Aegean opposite the Dardanelles) August 6th of each year. The clay was put into containers and thus the name. Others believe that the term is a misnomer used by scholars stemming from the word sigil or seal, owing to the relief work on some of the original pieces, called Barbotine. Pieces finished with this red slip are also generally known as “Samian Ware”. This ultra fine slip was also used by earlier cultures such as the Minoans and Myceneans, but mostly seen in colors such as cream or buff, white and black rather than the red iron oxide color seen in Roman pottery. Pots finished in this way span fr
