Decorative? Shipwreck Vessel

Saw this today but did not buy it because I don't think it was on the bottom of the ocean. Right?

 

I dunno ...?

 

Dimensions are always appreciated. Dimensions are one way to authenticate. If all the known ones of that form are over 30 in. Tall and yours is 12", well, you know.

 

Is that tape holding it together?

 

Aside from being dimensionless, the marine encrustation looks authentic. There's stuff like this coming up all the time now but if the price is commensurate with an interesting conversation piece and not a Van Gogh, might be fun to have. I'd bet it is about 2000 years old.

 

Maybe about 9". The tape is holding the price tag. There are two stuck seashells near the bases of the handles.
I just feel like all this is made to look old and probably a decorative item.

 

It was $5.

 

Real amphorae do come in the same size and shape as that one. There's a cleaned, restored one slightly similar on this page for $975. Amphorae have been studied to death so there are books and websites that will tell u zakly what it is.

http://www.ancientresource.com/lots/roman/roman-terracotta-pottery.html

 

If you go back to the seller, ask if he's got more like it. When u find an ancient Roman or Greek shipwreck with amphorae, it will often have hundreds of large ones or thousands of small ones. Get me one too, please.

 

Realize there are literally a great many thousands, if not millions, of them but they've not all been found. There may be be rare sizes I suppose.
I don't know if it is an issue but where did it come from? Possibly pilfered from a wreck where? This may be impossible to know but I wonder if there is any trouble to get in for having it...

 

Sorry Springfld, it is the only one. TS find.Actually I don't know if it a shipwreck piece. Thinking to Ebay it but don't know if I should do more research like period, where it came from etc.
It is 10 1/2" tall.

 

sure looks like it's been on the ocean floor !

 

I'd be very surprised if that doesn't prove to be an authentic Roman amphora close to 2000 years old. I don't know how anyone could fake marine encrustation that well, and even if they could, they wouldn't bother doing it with an item like that one that's only modestly valuable-wouldn't be worth their time.

 

Which shape do you think I have?
https://www.abc.se/~pa/mar/dressel.htm

 

That's odd....I can't say it looks like any of em ??

If anyone.......#1.....???

 

Yours resembles Dressel type 1, but he didn't have that many amphorae to work with when he did that back in 1899, so you'd want to check more recent work such as Lamboglia/Pascual. Almost any museum of ancient archaeology should have their books.

 

Being sold. The buyer wants to return it because:
". The amphora is not terracotta but cement. Shells were imbedded on wet cement and what appears to be incrustation is really small stones in the cement. It was probably made for an aquarium and as such has no value"

I stated Sold As Is and No returns accepted but I know Ebay does not care. I did describe it as Ancient Roman amphora but did not say that I gurantee to be authentic.
I guess I will have to accept the return? It's OK with me but not eating the original and return shipping.

 

Ooops-well I guess I know now if your customer is correct, sry!

 

That woul;d be one hell of a big aquarium .... ?

I don't know about fishys but wouln't that foul the water ??

 

https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://anforasdemar.com/&prev=search
If the link doesn't work try searching for anforas de mar which appears to be a company that produces replica aged amphorae (if I've understood it right!)