Volume 1

The gentleman's magazine library : being a classified collection of the chief contents of The gentleman's magazine from 1731 to 1868. Romano-British remains / edited by George Laurence Gomme.

Date:
1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The gentleman's magazine library : being a classified collection of the chief contents of The gentleman's magazine from 1731 to 1868. Romano-British remains / edited by George Laurence Gomme. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    69/332 page 41
    Exeter. [1836, Part II., p. 311.] Mr. Shortt has requested us to place upon record the addition to his collection of several Roman vessels and other antiquities, besides those enumerated in our last number, pp. 156, 157. (See Note 8.] A large scyphus or bowl, adorned with curious tracery and mould- ings, and curiously embossed ; the potter’s mark is of. modesti. A handsome cup (calix or cyathus) marked of. mod. On another piece of pottery marclle, impressed backwards. A cup or chalice of Samian ware, inscribed opa. . . .; an unguent vase of the smallest size, of red clay ; and two glass lacrymatories. A small sepulchral unguent vase of dark blue clay, found at the post-office inn, and rudely inscribed with the letters nameve. A mortarium, found at the Western Market. A bronze fibula, of elegant shape and workmanship, with the letter m on it. Two beautiful sepulchral lamps, of brown terra cotta, one orna- mented with a galley or trireme having a formidable rostrum, and one square sail, and the other with a lioness running. These lamps were found at the depth of 12 feet, with the blade of a sword, several pieces of glass vessels, and the cup and large bowl above mentioned. A great number of coins, and about twenty more potters’ marks, have also been found. The excavations are now nearly closed, and the Markets built over. Forty silver coins of Trajan, Hadrian, and the Antonines, have been found at Wolfardisworthy near Tiverton. [1836, Part II., p. 645.] In lately digging the foundations of the new County Bank, Exeter, opposite the Guildhall, a quantity of ancient red ware was found in a line with the street, at a great depth—the beautiful memorial of the plastic art in Samos (the parent of sculpture), and of the Etruscan works so noted in later times. Some was also dug up in excavating a sewer in front of the Lower Market. Some large flat Roman tiles were also found, inscribed with the arch of a circle, and about fifteen copper coins. There were also some potters’ marks found under this bank, one of which, on the bottom of a small chalice or cup, DIOCHV. was probably of some Grecian artist, or of Greek origin— it may be supposed Deiochus, as the I seems a sort of monogram compounded with E, unless meant for the Hiolic digamma (which the Romans adopted instead of the aspirate), but not very likely to be so. The other IVIII might be the workmanship of the figtili or potters attached to the Eighth Legion (1st Cohort) whose ensign was a ram or bull, and served under the Emperor Carausius of naval memory, in our island, about 288 a.d. being entitled Victrix
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