_Samian ware_ is that peculiarly fine, close-textured, and richly-coloured red-ware, which is so frequently found, and is so well known to antiquaries. The body of this ware is of a fine red colour, but its surface is of a deeper and richer tone, much like the best red sealing-wax. It is extremely hard and brittle, and is sonorous in sound when struck. The vessels of this ware consist for the most part of bowls, cups, and pateræ or dishes, in each of which divisions are found an almost endless variety of forms, and while some are perfectly plain, others are more or less covered with ornaments--figures of men, animals, foliage, borders, etc.,--in relief. These relief ornaments were produced from moulds, and the names of the makers of the vessels were also frequently stamped upon them. Of these ornaments and potters’ marks, Mr. Wright says, “The potter’s name was placed in a small rectangular label, as in the examples given on figs. 270, 271, 272, 273, and 274. The name was most commonly put in the genitive case, combined with O or OF, abbreviations of the word _officina_, as in the example given in our cut, where OF MODESTI stands for _officina Modesti_, _i.e._ ‘from the workshop of Modestus;’ or with M for _manu_, as COBNERTI M, for _Cobnerti manu_, ‘by’ or ‘from the hand of Cobnertus.’ Sometimes the name is given in the nominative case, followed by F or FE, for _fecit_, as COCVRO F, for _Cocuro fecit_, ‘Cocuro made it.’ Doubled or ligulated letters are frequently introduced into these inscriptions, an example of which is given in the lower figure to the right, where the first letter is the ligulated T and E, and the name is TETTVR. Sometimes we meet with an error in the spelling of the word; and in one or two instances the person who made the stamp inscribed the name carelessly, so that it read direct on the stamp, and consequently it is reversed in the impression on the pottery. An example is given in the cut, where the inscription reversed reads PRASSO·O. The name is not always placed in a square label, though examples to the contrary are rare. In a few instances it has been found inscribed round a small circle. It is a peculiarity of the Arrentine ware, described by Fabroni, that the label not unfrequently assumes the form of the sole of a man’s foot. The stamp of this form given in our cut occurs on a piece of the red Samian ware found at Lillebonne, in Normandy. The inscription appears to be HIL·O·L·TITI, which may perhaps stand for _Hilarii officina liberti Titi_, ‘from the workshop of Hilarius, the freedman of Titus.’ The next cut (fig. 276) represents one of the stamps used for impressing the label with the potter’s name. It was found at Lezoux, in Auvergne and presents the name AVSTRI·OF. ‘from the workshop of Austen.’ A similar die of a potter named Cobnertus is preserved in the museum at Sevres. Both these names occur on specimens of Samian ware found in England. Other potters’ names are shown on figs. 272 to 275.