Possessed of a graceful beauty that still delights our senses, this large vessel perhaps contained water or wine during the Golden Age of Rome. When we hold it today, we are aware of the touch of ancient hands: those of the potter who shaped it; perhaps of a serving maid in the house of some wealthy senator; or soldiers of the Roman legions passing it around as they swapped tales of battle. In its presence, those ancient citizens of the Classical world, otherwise forgotten, come briefly alive. We feel the energy of their lives and we become part of the unbroken chain of history.