Amphora

The ancient owner of this wheel-turned amphora had an inscription engraved onto the neck of the vessel that reads either “I am the pourer” or “I belong to Fuscus” in Latin. This object, maybe even more than other items on display, makes us reflect on the personal history the objects we find in museums have. This simple vessel carries with it a message from its ancient owner, reminding us that the antiquities bought and sold, collected and donated, are not static objects, but rather part of a living history. It is their presentation in the museum as objects outside of their original context that can render them objects of a commodified past. The engraving on this amphora helps us in some ways to connect that past with our present.