Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Figulus

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

FIG'ULUS (κεραμεύς). Any artist or mechanic who works in clay; as, one who makes figures and ornaments in terra-cotta (Plin. H. N. xxxv. 43.), represented by the preceding illustration; a brick-maker (Juv. x. 171.), represented by the engraving s. LATERARIA; a potter (Varro, R. R. iii. 15. 2.), of which trade the annexed figure (Figulus/1.1), from an Egyptian painting, affords an example. The potter sits on the ground before his wheel (rota), on the top of which is placed the lump of clay, which he forms into shape with this thumbs and fingers, exactly in the same manner as now practised. An engraved gem (Caylus, Recueil, &c. iv. 62.) represents an artisan of the same description, with a modelling stick in his hand, sitting before a fictile vase, which is situated on the top of a miniature kiln, to indicate that he is giving the last finish before sending it to the oven.

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  Figulus/1.1