This impressive decorated samian bowl was imported from southern Gaul in the late 1st century AD.

The decoration is detailed, the main panel featuring two kneeling stags, each depicted with their pelts visible. The stags are positioned on either side of a floral cross shape, known as a saltire, which probably divides what are two self-contained decorated panels. The stag on the left is facing a tree which was probably central to the panel, and which would have been balanced by another figure on the other side of it, now lost.

Above the main panel runs a repeating motif called an ovolo, a pattern resembling small swags or drapes. This served both an aesthetic purpose and a practical one, as it helped to conceal the join at the top of the moulded area between the bowl’s decorated body and plain rim.

The lower frieze features small animal figures. These figures are tricky to identify due to their small size, but they may represent lionesses or possibly panthers. Curiously, these animals are upside down, adding a bit of mystery to the design.