Making Samian ware - part 1

Year 5, the class that study Minimus,  have been learning about Roman Art. Both of us who teach them Art and Craft are Classicists, so it's been a particularly interesting topic. We have made 'fresco' panels (more on those in a future post), looked at the Medusa story and tackled pottery.
We decided to try making replica Samian ware bowls like those at Vindolanda, and to take the children through all the steps of the process. We used terracotta clay, the usual school kind.

The children made moulds in disposable plastic bowls, pressing the clay in by hand and making sure it was thick enough to take stamps. The stamps used were a mix of buttons, cufflinks, a Minimus brooch and beads. We used dried alphabet pasta for lettering. The letters in the mould had to be added in reverse, so the writing on the finished bowl would be the right way round.

 Then, when the moulds were dried a little, we took them out of the plastic bowls and let them dry completely before firing. The pasta burned away to nothing in the kiln (our kiln is very well ventilated and in a separate room!) The next step was to roll out a slab of clay about a centimetre thick, drape it over the mould and press it in with wet hands. This was one of the messiest parts of the operation!

 Then we dried the bowls, trimmed the edges and fired them.

Instead of terra sigillata slip, we used clear glaze, as diluted as possible. It isn't perfect, but it does give the right general impression!

The finished bowls were displayed on shelves made from recycled sports photo frames! I glued the perspex into the frame with hot glue and made shelf supports with square section wood strips. The shelves are hot-glued together. I printed labels on buff sugar-paper, to look like vintage museum labels. The children are very proud of their Samian ware!

Minimus and the Hourly Comic Challenge

This year, I had a go at drawing a comic for each hour of Minimus' (waking) day in February 1st, as part of #hourlycomicday . They all appeared on Twitter over three days in our @minimus_latin feed. I have collected them all here:

Minimus' Advent Calendar, December 24th

quarto decimo die Decembris, Minimus stellam invenit. (On the twenty fourth day of December, Minimus finds a star!)

Minimus' Advent Calendar, December 23rd

vicesimo tertio die Decembris, Minimus aquifolium invenit. (On the twenty third day of December, Minimus finds holly).

Minimus' Advent Calendar, December 21st

vicesimo primo die Decembris, Minimus sigillum invenit. (On the twenty first day of December, Minimus finds a pottery figure)

Minimus' Advent Calendar, December 22nd

vicesimo secundo die Decembris, Minimus anserem invenit. (On the twenty second day of December, Minimus finds a goose).

Minimus' Advent Calendar, December 20th

vicesimo die Decembris, Minimus pomum invenit. (On the 20th day of December, Minimus finds an apple).

Minimus' Advent Calendar, December 19th

undevicesimo die Decembris, Minimus rangiferum invenit. (On the nineteenth day of December, Minimus finds a reindeer).

Minimus' Advent Calendar, December 18th

duodevicesimo die Decembris, Minimus librum invenit. (On the 18th day of December, Minimus finds a book). 

Minimus' Advent Calendar, December 17th

septimo decimo die Decembris, Minimus pupam invenit. (On the 17th December, Minimus finds a doll). 

Minimus' Advent Calendar, December 16th

sexto decimo die Decembris, Minimus ursulum invenit. (On the sixteenth day of December, Minimus finds a little bear).

Minimus' Advent Calendar, December 15th

quinto decimo die Decembris, Minimus libum invenit. (On the fifteenth day of December, Minimus finds a honeycake). 

Minimus' Advent Calendar, December 13th

tertio decimo die Decembris, Minimus arborem invenit. (On the thirteenth day of  December, Minimus finds a tree). 

Minimus' Advent Calendar, December 12th

duodecimo die Decembris, Minimus viscum invenit. (On the twelfth day of December, Minimus finds mistletoe).

Minimus' Advent Calendar, December 11th

undecimo die Decembris, Minimus candelam invenit. (On the eleventh day of December, Minimus finds a candle).

Minimus' Advent Calendar, December 10th

decimo die Decembris, Minimus pileum invenit. (On the tenth day of December, Minimus finds a hat).

Minimus' Advent Calendar, December 9th

nono die Decembris, Minimus donum invenit. (On the ninth day of December, Minimus finds a present). 

Minimus' Advent Calendar, December 8th

octavo die Decembris, Minimus nuces invenit. (On the 8th day of December, Minimus finds nuts).

Minimus' Advent Calendar, December 7th

septimo die Decembris, Minimus soccum invenit. (On the seventh day of December, Minimus finds a stocking).

Minimus' Advent Calendar, December 6th

sexto die Decembris, Minimus tintinnabulum invenit. (On the sixth day of December, Minimus finds a bell).