Description:
This study focuses on the wide range of vessel forms and decoration of the rare appliqué-decorated red slip ware from northern Tunisia, and especially the appliqué-, relief- and stamp-decorated sigillata made in the most imprtant mid and late Roman potteries at Sidi Marzouk Tounsi in central Tunisia. The exceptional collection of vessels accumulated by K. Wilhelm forms the basis of this work and is presented here in a catalogue documenting 138 complete vessels and 104 fragments, including numerous unique forms and motifs of decoration. The analysis of the appliqué and relief decoration with pagan, allegoric and early Christian motifs documents the iconographic change of themes over the centuries. It is particularly noteworthy to highlight the end of production of the late Roman mould-made, relief-decorated red slip ware not before the middle of the 6th century AD.
Review Quotes: "[Mackensens]'s remarkable overview of the Wilhelm collection cannot be denied. It covers a wide range of decorated ARS A, C, and D, giving new insights on appliqué and stamp decoration that can be typo-chronologically framed, often linking different production phases. He has created a compendium that does not need to be read from cover to cover but can be used as a handbook, providing not only descriptions of individual pieces but also plentiful background information essential for anyone studying decorated ARS. The book is a prime example of showcasing the wealth of information enclosed in collections generally burdened by negative connotations. By maximizing the scientific output of the K. Wilhelm collection over its negative connotations, M. is also defying the otherwise common fate of collections being hidden, unseen, and forgotten."
Von Dr. Carina Hasenzagl
In: Journal of Roman Archaeology 2021
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"Avec cet ouvrage, Michael Mackensen fait une fois de plus la preuve de sa place de premier plan, en Europe,
dans lla mesure de l'ampleur et de la durée de sa diffusion dans l'ensemble du monde antique, du premier au septième siècle de notre ère. [...] On soulignera pour terminer l'excellence de l'édition de cet ouvrage dans la collection >Münchner Beiträge zur provinzialrömischen Archäologie
Von Dr. Michel Bonifay
In: Bonner Jahrbücher Bd. 220 (2020)
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" [...] what he [Mackensen] has done here puts it on a similar footing to El Mahrine and provides for all a most useful source of reference of the very highest quality."
Von Dr. Philip Kenrick
In: Libyan Studies 2020