Page 42 - Manual of Roman Everyday Writing Volume 2: Writing Equipment

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Brush (penicillus/penicillum)

Little is known about Roman brushes which would have been used
to write with ink or paint, for example onto pottery and walls.
Possible finds include metal tubes that may have been stuck onto
a wooden brush-shaft to hold the bristles in place (Fünfschilling
2012, 180; Raux and Widehen 2015, 685). They are difficult to tell
apart from the remains of pens and pen cases. Rare metal tools with
socket-shaped ends to receive bristles or other organic materials
such as pieces of sponge have also been interpreted as brushes but

Fig. 24: Brushholders from Augusta Raurica
(Switzerland), 1st/2nd century CE. From Fünfschilling
2012, 213 pl. 2 (detail). © Augusta Raurica.

as such may primarily have had other uses such as gilding (Raux
and Widehen 2015). Some have one stylus- or spatula-shaped end,
others have a flattened middle part and two socket-shaped ends.
These latter objects measure between 9–15 cm, mainly date to
Fig. 23: Typology of metal brushholders after Raux and Widehen
2015, 680, courtesy of the authors. (1) type I.a, Murviel-lès- the 1st century CE and are associated with urban sites (Raux and
Montpellier, France, (2) type I.a, Famars, France, (3) type I.b, Widehen 2015, 684, further Fünfschilling 2012, 181). The largest
Pont-Noyelles, France, (4) type II, Trier, Germany, (5) type numbers have been found in modern day Switzerland, France and
III.a, Carsac-Aillac, France, (6) type III.b, Besançon, France. the UK (Raux and Widehen 2015, 683).