A Roman North African red-ware pottery shard depicting the 12 Apostles of Christ, AD 350-420, from a large Lanx, with good style and detail. 5 1/4 in x 2 7/8 in (13.3 x 7.3 cm). Matthew 10. Reference Bejaoui no. 43 p. 251; cf. Garbsch 1980. Similar piece found in the Musee Benaki, Athens. Ex Northern California private collection. African Redware Pottery provides some of the oldest motifs and portraits of Biblical characters. This pottery was influenced by the teaching of Saint Augustine of Hippo during the 4th and 5th century (350-420AD) after the political conversion of the Roman by Emperor Constantine (313-337 AD). Constantine's conversion of the Empire from paganism to Christianity permitted for the inauguration of Christian motifs on public artwork. Many of Augustine's teachings, hopes, and allegorical hermeneutics are portrayed throughout these Christian images. Though pagan worship and cultic practice were eventually banned by the imperial administration, many classical artwork themes of the pagans continued from the past Roman world as the clash between paganism and Christianity struggled to cohabitate. It is evident that these themes made their way into the new art of these Biblical characters. Some biblical characters on African Redware are portrayed with the classical look of the roman gods among other forms of the continued pagan artistic tradition. African Redware pottery provides us with an amazing window into the 4th and 5th century Christian world as influenced under the teachings of Augustine.

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