Development of original, high-quality production

Fine, sigillata-type ceramics, which imitated silver tableware, were first imported from Italy and later produced by local workshops. Decorative incisions and epigraphs on everyday objects, such as the spindle whorls made of schist from Autun, show the mastery of writing by artisans.

Metalworking, something that the Celtic civilization excelled at, found new forms of expression. The fibula (brooch) illustrates the evolution of living standards and techniques: at the end of the reign of Augustus, it became smaller and more intricately decorated. Beginning in the first third of the first century CE, artisans opted for an arch that was cast rather than beaten. Twenty years later, enamel appeared, giving this object a decorative value beyond its utilitarian function.