Italy, 400-300 BC

This platter is more commonly known as a “fish plate” and is believed to be from Campania in Southern Italy. The red-figure technique fish plates generally depicted at least three large sea creatures. The center depression on the plate is believed to have been used for a liquid called garum, composed of salted, fermented fish blood and guts left out in the sun for a few months. Platters such as this one have been found both in domestic settings as well as in funerary contexts for ceremonial purposes. There are around 1,00 known similar fish plates in collections around the world.