Kitchen Utensils

Carlo Ceci, Piccoli bronzi del Real Museo Borbonico, distinti per categorie in dieci tavole descritte e disegnate da Carlo Ceci (Naples, 1854), "Utensili da cucina e da riposto in bronzo," Plate 1.

This image depicts a collection of kitchen objects in bronze from the Roman cities in Campania. The objects’ organization in distinct rows,is indicative of a more scientific approach to the study of these artifacts. In the nineteenth century, we see an important shift in the study of antiquity. During this period, scholarly interest is no longer exclusively focused on large public monuments, and greater attention is paid to various aspects of the Romans’ private daily life. Although the objects on this page are not represented in context, i.e. in an actual kitchen, a sense of contextualization is suggested through their categorization. The organization of this display focuses the viewers’ attention on the three largest objects used for heating and cooking, e.g. a “fornello” or oven (number 3). Other smaller cooking utensils are arranged on the top of the page as if ready for use.