there is no direct roman equivalent to the artistically central vase-painting of ancient greece, and few objects of outstanding artistic interest have survived, but there is a great deal of fine tableware, and very many small figures, often incorporated into oil lamps or similar objects, and often with religious or erotic themes. roman burial customs varied over time and space, so vessels deposited as grave goods, the usual source of complete ancient pottery vessels, are not always abundant, though all roman sites produce plenty of broken potsherds. "fine" rather than luxury pottery is the main strength of roman pottery, unlike roman glass, which the elite often used alongside gold or silver tableware, and which could be extremely extravagant and expensive. it is clear from the quantities found that fine pottery was used very widely in both social and geographic terms. the more expensive pottery tended to use relief decoration, usually moulded, rather than colour, and often copied shapes and decoration from the more prestigious metalwork. especially in the eastern empire, local traditions continued, hybridizing with roman styles to varying extents. from the 3rd century the quality of fine pottery steadily declined, partly because of economic and political disturbances, and because glassware was replacing pottery for drinking cups (the rich had always preferred silver in any case).