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In these days when we in Rome celebrated the Saturnalia (17 to December 23). The last days were the party of the Sigillaria , term with three meanings: the holidays, gifts this holiday season and own the market. Let's see then, in parts.

I. FIESTA ,

is

characterized by s gift of Sigillaria (terracotta dolls), especially to children and cerei , candles, primarily to employers.

1. Duration

In Macrobius Saturnalia, 1, 10, 23-4 read a conversation during the Saturna them at home Vettius Praetextatus who highlights the gradual

n popularity of the festival of Saturnalia and Sigillaria since the time of Caesar which increased its duration to seven days (from 17 to 23 December)

23. I believe that we have sufficiently established that the Saturnalia were usually held in one day, the fourteenth day before the Kalends, but then lasted for three days: in the first place because of the days added to this month by Caesar in second, due to an edict of Augustus in which added to the Saturnalia celebrations for three days. Consequently, the sixteenth day started, just the fourteenth, the only day that had previously been held regularly. 24. But added the conclusion of the extended Sigilares public excitement and happiness of the celebration until the seventh day.

2. Origin. Praetextatus ( Macrobius Sat, 1.46-509 ) argues that its origin is in the statuettes as sacrificial offerings were given to Saturn, after rejecting the explanation that Hercules makes his operator.

46. Now I have to review a few words to Sigilares to not think that I said we are more worthy of holy laughter. 47 Epica, that Hercules once killed Geryon, drove cattle victory over Italy, from a bridge ready for the event is now called the river threw Sublicio many statues of men and the number of comrades who had lost in the trip hazards, so that after the water flow reached the sea, returned to headquarters instead of the fathers of the dead bodies. Hereafter maintained the habit of making these statues on holy occasions. 48. I consider that this is more true origin of this issue that some have mentioned before: the Pelasgians, after a favorable interpretation appointed heads, not living people, but mud and the translation of photo was not only man but also torch began to light candles to Saturn and bring the sanctuary of Dis, who was near the altar of Saturn, some figures instead of their heads. 49 Thereafter exchange was forwarded to the Saturnalia candles, which were modeled in clay figurines and were willing to sell the men did a propitiatory sacrifice to Saturn for their own and place themselves in of Dis. 50. Thus for such animation Saturnalia stores lasts seven days, causing them to be idle, but not all solemn.

3. Linking to children

In conversation (op. cit.11.1) Evangelos said that these parties were typical of children who walk on all fours

Sigilares

that aims to provide fun with clay figurines children still crawling, are attached to a religious practice.

Linking gifts this holiday with children is also found in Seneca, Epistles to Lucilius , 12, 3

me, Felicio, your little boy, your favorite, you used to give statuettes, I am the son of thy steward Filostio.

and Suetonius, Claudius V:

His uncle Tiberius granted, upon request, the consular ornaments, but as soon calling for the consulate, he wrote the whole answer, I command thee forty pieces gold for the Saturnalia and Sigilarias

II. GIFTS were clay figurines or SIGILL, giving name to the festival.

For sigillum (diminutive of signum ) refers to any statue of deities, humans or animals and also the material for religious, decorative and burial to be found in sanctuaries as votive offerings or in graves as offerings to the dead whose most famous examples are those of Tanagra .

But these are not the only holiday gifts are also books, dishes, perfume, food, clothing and artwork. Martial, VII, LIII presents many of the gifts of the Saturnalia, for example received from Umbro

I sent in the Saturnalia, Umbro, all the gifts I had accumulated those five days. Two sets of six and seven leaflets toothpick. To this was added the company a sponge, a napkin, cup, half bushel of beans, with a basket of olives of the Piceno and a bottle of syrup of Laletania black. And with a few small prunes figs came from Syria and a heavy keel due to the amount of figs in Libya. I hardly think that would cost thirty sesterces all the gifts they brought eight burly men in Syria. Much more comfortably with no job could bring me five pounds of silver a slave!

In his book XIV, Apophoreta, Marcial focuses on gifts of Saturnalia, including mentions four figures made of clay (a mask, Hercules, Hunchback y Bruto).

CLXXI, Bruto

La gloria de tan pequeña estatuilla no es oscura; de ese niño, Bruto era el amante.

CLXXVI, Máscara

Soy, entretenimiento de un alfarero, la máscara de un pelirrojo bátavo. Esta cara de la que tú te burlas un niño la teme.

CLXXVIII, Hércules

Soy frágil; pero tú, te lo advierto, no desprecies la estatuilla. No le da vergüenza al Alcida de llevar mi nombre.

CLXXXII, Jorobado

Borracho dio a land, I think, these monsters Prometheus. With the mud saturnalicio played to him.

Another witness Saturnalia gifts we read in Suetonius on Augustus (Aug. 75 ) making donations and auctions

LXXV. Festivals and feasts celebrated with great pomp, but often not looking at it more than once ridiculed. Thus, in the Saturnalia, and at other times, at his choice, gifts sent to friends, consisting of dresses, gold, silver, coins from all parts, old parts of the time of kings or of foreign manufacture, coarse fabrics, sponges, tweezers, scissors and other objects of the same gender, with dark markings and double meanings. In their meals did draw lots of very unequal value, or put on sale tables turned upside down, DepEd chance to be undertaken or frustrate the expectations of the buyer. For each table there was a tender, and the guests were communicating to each other their good or bad fortune.

Saturnalia
These gifts become so expensive that, according to Macrobius 1, 7, 33 a tribune had filed a law banning gifts to others were not the cerei or Sigillaria . Many

occasion the Saturnalia required by greed of their clients gifts exaggerated and that burden levied on the weakest, the tribune of the people advertising established that no exchange with the richest except candles.

III. SPECIFIC MARKET because igillaria S was also the name of the neighborhood of Rome where he made and sold the figurines in which dwelt too many bookshelves. We read in Aulus Gellius two mentions of books purchased in this neighborhood.

Attic Nights 2, 3, 5 : One day memories do Optatus Fido, a grammarian much popularity in Rome, he showed me a copy of the old second book of the Aeneid, which he had bought for twenty aureus in the neighborhood of the Sigilarias.

Attic Nights 5, 4, 1 : Finding a day in a bookstore in the neighborhood of Sigilarias with one of the most learned men of our time, the poet Julio Paulo (...)

could also buy other items such as silver art objects, we see Suetonius, Claudio 16, 4

was noted also, among other peculiarities of censorship, which made buying a car and break publicly Silver wonderful work they had put up for sale near Sigilarias, and that in one day published twenty proclamations, including one that was available tar well considering that drums have a lot of wine that year, and others who advised the juice of the yew as an effective remedy against snakebite.

had to be a busy place at this time because the site chosen by Nero to walk around in Spore, with whom he had married, as Suetonius tells us Nero 28.2;

Dressed Spore with this dress empresses, was carrying with him on a litter to meetings and markets in Greece and Rome sigilarias parties, kissing all the time.

The exact location is unknown but is believed to be due in porticu Agrippiana and later in porticu Traianarum thermarum , the words appearing in Juvenal's Satire VI:

In the cold months, when Jason got a merchant gets locked and store white clogs their armed sailors, she has huge glasses of rock crystal, agate also the largest and most celebrated and also a diamond that is more expensive to have state on the finger of Berenice.

According to the commentary to this satire seems to be riding in the field of Mars on the street market Sigillaria in the stalls and shops in sight tapaban wall paintings of the Gate of Agrippa representing Jason and the Argonauts. The figure of Jason excel over the heads of traders as one, and his sailors, represented in a walking position, seem upset by the stalls.

So there's another trait common among our celebrations of Saturnalia and Christmas, the little markets where you can buy from a figurine to the crib, decorative ornaments , Books or toys ... a little of everything.

SIZE

R OF Sigillaria

We propose now a simple learning activity on this section of the Sigillaria , with which you can complete the recreation of Saturnalia, or present it as a separate unit.

These photos are a historical document, the Christmas shop in the school year 2006-2007 Cheste old.

On the tables are magnificent Sigillaria.

will need the following materials:

-modeling clay that dries the air and does not require baking.
-roller-sticks

-cookie cutters with different shapes.
"faux leather cord.

handed out the modeling clay to each student to develop skills as a figurine. They are provided artwork for guidance in the previous images we see dice, playing chips, a dove, a horse, two vases, a small lamp and a bulla. In the other three tintinnabula image as Merida. ( more about the Merida tintinnabula here)

If we want to do something simple we can use the cookie cutters with different shapes of star, heart, teddy, moon, ...

The process is:
1. We cover the work surface with plastic to make it easier to remove after pasta.
2. Roll dough to a piece of modeling clay sure that it is thin and the surface of equal thickness.

3. Insert the molds with the desired shapes in the dough.

4. Carefully unmold and make the hole for the cord. While wet can put your name, date, initials ... and then dry.

5. Once the paste dry and paint support can paint or leave them hanging in the natural tone. We put leather cord and we have our custom Sigillaria .

Finally

involved with our work as gifts we can recreate a lot of the usual these days as recommended by Charo on your blog Marco De Re Coquinaria on apophoreta.

We hope you find useful

Plurimam Salutem!