Palazzo de'Rossi. Una storia pistoiese

Tav. 2. Ceramiche fini da mensa. Vernice nera con corpo
ceramico grigio: 1. ; Ceramica grigia: 2.; Pareti sottili: 3.
Tav. 3. Terra sigillata italica e tardo italica.
(tav. 3, n. 5), attestata dall’età tiberiana fino alla fine del I sec., e dalla coppa emisferica con
listello Conspectus 34 82 (tav. 3, n. 4), che compare in età tardo tiberiana ed è ancora in auge nelle
produzioni di sigillata tardo italica dall’età flavia fino all’inizio del II sec. d.C. La forma è documentata
a Pistoia anche dai ritrovamenti dei siti di San Iacopo in Castellare 83 e dell’Antico
Palazzo dei Vescovi 84 .
I calici sono documentati da alcuni frammenti: un piede ricostruibile da tre frammenti (tav.
3, n. 6) e avvicinabile forse al tipo Conspectus R. 1.1.1 85 e dodici frammenti, in parte contigui,
con decorazione figurata a rilievo da riferire con certezza a un unico esemplare (fig. 33). Di
questo rimane una brevissima porzione dell’orlo arrotondato e decorato a rotella, sottolineato
da un piccolo listello che lo separa da una fascia liscia delimitata in basso da due solcature
parallele. Sotto a queste, una fila di perle a rilievo e una fascia di ovuli e lancette sovrastano
una scena figurata, che occupa tutto il campo delle pareti e della vasca del vaso. Vi si possono
riconoscere due personaggi maschili che incedono verso sinistra tenendo per una corda un
animale (equide? bovino?) e recano appesi ad un bastone o forse a una clava, appoggiata sulla
spalla sinistra, l’uno un canestro con serti vegetali (?) e nastri, l’altro due drappi (?) annodati.
I due personaggi dai volti glabri e dal naso prominente hanno identico abbigliamento: un
copricapo apicato o forse un mantello con cappuccio decorato con motivo a rete, una tunica
succinta, alti calzari (?) (conservati da un solo personaggio). La scena, come mostra un frammento
isolato ma certamente pertinente allo stesso esemplare, è definita in basso da due
lunghi tralci sinuosi che fuoriescono dal terreno in direzioni contrapposte a marcare la linea
di terra sulla quale poggiano due zampe animali (ungulati).
Il calice, al quale appartengono i frammenti appena descritti, sembra attribuibile alle produzioni
aretine decorate a matrice, delle quali costituisce, al momento, la più importante
attestazione in territorio pistoiese 86 . Non si sono rintracciati, sin qui, confronti puntuali che
riconducano il calice a una specifica bottega. L’elegante motivo a ovuli e lancette che delimita
la scena del vaso pistoiese trova confronti nei prodotti di varie officine aretine 87 . La tipologia
33. Frammenti di Terra sigillata decorata a matrice.
Rare fragments of black glaze pottery were identified, attributable to the “Circle of Campana
B” 64 . The formal repertory of this class becomes a reference also for the local and regional
productions of black glaze wares with grey ceramic body to which a fragment of patera rim
(table 2, no. 1) can most likely be attributed, similar to the Morel 2255 series, widespread in
the second half of the 2nd century B.C. 65 Similar ceramics were identified also in the subsoil
of the Antico Palazzo dei Vescovi, occurring, in this case too, in a low quantity and in a fragmented
and fluitato state 66 .
Also inspired by the repertory of black painted ceramics is the grey ceramic patera (table
2, no. 2) which is similar to the Morel 2271 series 67 , popular between the 2nd and the 10th
century B.C. The fragment from Palazzo de’ Rossi can be related to the grey pottery found
in other sites in Pistoia: in the Antico Palazzo dei Vescovi 68 , in Piazza della Sapienza and in
Agliana 69 , comparable with the wares documented also in Fiesole and in Artimino 70 .
• Thin-walled pottery
Thin-walled pottery, with which drinking vessels were mainly made, are documented by small
fragments, both smooth as well as decorated. Some of them (table 2, no. 3) make up a good
part of one example which can be related to Ricci I/19 – Marabini IV type goblets used from
the second half of the 2nd century to the 1st century B.C. 71 .
• Italic and Late Italic terra sigillata (table 3, tab. 1)
Fragments of Italic and Late Italic terra sigillata come from numerous contexts studied in
Palazzo de’ Rossi. For the moment, only open forms have been identified, such as plates,
bowls and goblets, with smooth or decorated walls.
A considerable number of fragments belong to plates with a vertical concave (table 3, no. 1)
or straight rim similar respectively to the Conspectus 18 type 72 , produced from the last decade
of the 1st century B.C. until the first of the 1st century A.D. 73 , and to the Conspectus 20 type 74 ,
widespread from the Augustan era until at least 50 A.D. 75 .
Also identified were some fragments of plate with a horizontal pendant rim attributable to
Conspectus 39-42 76 Late Italic sigillata wares, widespread from the mid 1st century to the mid
2nd century A.D. In one case, the characteristic barbotine decoration with phytomorphic
patterns of the Conspectus 39 type plate can be seen. A second example, comparable only for
the shape of the Pucci XII type rim 77 , stands out for its enriched phytomorphic decoration,
obtained by a barbotine row of beads applied to the edge, (table 3, no. 2) for which there is
valid comparison in an example found in the Antico Palazzo dei Vescovi 78 .
The cups are represented by the funnel-shaped Conspectus 23 type 79 cup, widespread between
the second and the third quarter of the 1st century A.D. (table 3, no. 3) 80 , by the hemispherical
Conspectus type cup 36 81 (table 3, no. 5), documented from the Tiberian age until the end of the
1st century, and by the hemispherical Conspectus 34 82 (table 3, no. 4) cup with strip , which
appears in the late Tiberian age and is again popular in Late Italic sigillata wares produced
from the Flavian age until the beginning of the 2nd century A.D. The shape is documented in
Pistoia also by the findings in the sites of San Iacopo in Castellare 83 and of the Antico Palazzo
dei Vescovi 84 .
The goblets are documented by just a few fragments: a stem made up of three fragments
(table 3, no. 6) and perhaps similar to the Conspectus R. 1.1.1 type 85 , and twelve fragments,
partially matching, with figurative relief decoration, which definitely belong to one example
(fig. 33). Of this there survives a very small portion of the rounded edge, with rouletted decorated,
accentuated by a small strip that separates it from a smooth band delimitated on the
bottom by two parallel grooves. Under these, a row of relief beads and a band of egg and dart
crown a figurative scene, which occupies all of the walls and the body of the vase. Two male
characters can be identified, advancing left, holding an animal by a tether (horse? ox?) and
carrying a rod or perhaps a club, resting on the left shoulder, one with a basket with wreaths
of plants (?) and ribbons, the other with two knotted drapes (?). The two figures with hairless
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