Glass was used in the Roman world for such household
objects as drinking vessels and containers for precious com-
modities like perfume. Colored glass imitated gemstones,
while clear, colorless glass may have been developed to imi-
tate more costly rock crystal. Glass could be blown or cast
in a mold and was frequently decorated with reliefs of fl o-
ral motifs. Th e sumptuousness of glass vessels was second
only to that of gold or silver objects. Trimalchio, a fi ctional
character based on wealthy Romans in Petronius’s Satyricon,
states that he would prefer glass cups to gold ones, were they
not so fragile.
Tableware made of luxurious materials has been found
in both the archaeological and literary records of the Roman
world. Diners in the homes of the very wealthy would have
eaten and drunk from silver plates and cups decorated with
fi gural scenes in relief, like the famous examples from the
Boscoreale Treasure found near Pompeii. It is this type of ta-
bleware that decorated pottery was most likely reproducing.
Boiling, roasting, and techniques akin to modern grilling
were the most popular cooking methods in Roman domes-
tic kitchens; baking was typically done in one of a number
of bakeries throughout a given city. Pots and pans made of
bronze or iron have been found among the remains of ancient
kitchens. Th ese implements were similar to modern-day pots
and pans, with fl at bottoms, straight or slightly angled sides,
and either one or two handles based on their size and use.
Bronze braziers, sometimes fi nely decorated, were used in
Roman homes to grill food over hot coals.
Th e illumination of interior spaces in the Roman world
was oft en diffi cult. While architects and engineers developed
features that allowed natural sunlight into their buildings,
lighting spaces at night was impossible without the use of ar-
tifi cial light. Lamps in terra-cotta and bronze were made in all
periods of Roman antiquity and could take on many forms.
Olive oil was the most common fuel for the lamps that illumi-
nated public and private spaces alike. Most terra-cotta lamps
had a small ring handle; a covered, bowl-shaped container for
the fuel; and a rounded nozzle to hold the wick. Th e majority
of lamps had one wick, but some had multiple nozzles to max-
imize illumination. A wide variety of stamped or molded im-
agery decorated the covers of terra-cotta lamps. Floral designs
and mythological scenes were popular, but crosses came into
fashion when Rome converted to Christianity. Bronze lamps
were more durable and costly than the terra-cotta versions but
were made in the same general shapes. Th e more elaborate
versions in bronze (or even gold and silver) had large handles,
usually in the shape of a palmette or other kind of leaf. Lamps
in metal could be hung from chains or cords on tall candela-
bra; all lamps could be placed on a stand.
Th ese are by far the most common items found in a Ro-
man household—furniture, lamps, and receptacles for cook-
ing and eating in a variety of materials. Although they are
usually not preserved in the archaeological record, baskets,
tapestries, rugs, curtains, and screens made of perishable
fabrics and wood had functional and decorative roles in the
ancient Roman house.Roman jug, two-handled cup (the handles now missing), strainer, ladle, and stirrer, dating to about 100–75 b.c.e., from Arcisate, near Como,
northern Italy. (© Th e Trustees of the British Museum)
household goods: Rome 569