Patella (vessel)

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The patella is an ancient Roman vessel that was intended for the serving of food and the food offering .

In addition to their daily use for serving food, patellae were also used as bowls for food offerings. They are often documented in representations on altars, sepulchral monuments and coins, although the distinction between patella and patera is difficult because of the mostly quite abstract representation. Both vessel forms appear to represent the real sacrifices in the cult of gods and the dead. Not infrequently, such representations are signs of the pietas . The importance of these representations increased especially since the imperial era and underlined the high sacred importance of the princeps . In addition, patellae were signs of the priestly college of the Septemviri epulonum .

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