Samian (Greek or Roman pottery style)

Refers to a style of Roman pottery that is a variety of Terra sigillata pottery either made on Samos, an island in the Aegean Sea, or made of clay from Samos. Modern scholars generally use the term as a synonym for "Terra sigillata," believing the earlier use of the term was based on a misunderstanding of ancient usage, which probably simply referred to a varnishing technique used for Terra sigillata and not to the island of Samos. The term is also sometimes used to refer to Greek Geometric and Orientalizing pottery made or excavated on Samos.