some of the shapes of arretine plain wares were quite closely copied in the later 1st century bc and early 1st century ad in a class of pottery made in north-east gaul and known as gallo-belgic ware. many of these plates and dishes in red-slipped (') and black-slipped (') fabrics bear potters' stamps. other fine, thin-walled flagons, drinking beakers, bowls and dishes were made locally in most regions of the roman empire, including frontier provinces such as britain: for example, romano-british 'colour-coated' (slipped) wares made at colchester and in the nene valley belong to that classification. several of the pots to the right of the group photograph in the lead section of this article are nene valley wares, including the large black beaker decorated with a lively hunting scene of hounds and hares in the barbotine technique. many decorative techniques were used to beautify pottery tableware, including the use of coloured slips, painting, and various textured surfaces. painted decoration did not, however, continue the greek and etruscan traditions as a specialised technique used for elaborate luxury tablewares, though simpler painted designs do appear on many pottery types, both coarse and fine, throughout the empire. the dividing lines between 'fine' and 'coarse' wares, or tablewares and cooking wares, become a little blurred in the case of some of the local, provincial products, because pottery is often multi-purpose.