Three large ceramic amphoras measuring at 36 inches (92 cm) tall by 12 inches (31 cm) wide.

These vessels are constructed from red clay using a coil building technique and fired to a bisque temperature of 1800 degrees Fahrenheit (~1000 degrees Celsius). Each vessel was coated with a salt and white-slip mixture and left to crystalize.

For display all three vessels were filled with cinnamon, star anise, and black pepper corns, then laid on a bed of sand. This was done to imitate parts of the Indo-Roman spice trade that existed up until the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE. These vessels would’ve historically been used to transport fragrant botanicals and foodstuffs over vast trade routes that crossed both land and sea. Their finish of salt and white slip was intended to mimic the effects that transit across open oceans and deserts had on the durable trade vessels.