Storie [di] Ceramiche 8. Fonti scritte e iconografiche

Across the Mediterranean, from the westernmost shores of Spain and France, through Italy and Malta, and eastward to the Greek lands, the enduring story of ceramics unfolds, not merely through the fragments unearthed from ancient soils, but through the whispers of written records and the silent narratives of iconographic representations. This collection of studies, born from a day of dedicated scholarship, delves into the intricate relationship between these diverse sources, illuminating the lives of ceramic objects from the medieval to the modern age. It is a journey that seeks to understand their creation, their purpose, their travels, and their place within the fabric of human society.

The very act of studying these ceramic pieces is illuminated by the pioneering approach of integrating archival documents with material evidence, a methodology that has long proven its efficacy. One might delve into the statutes of potters' guilds in late medieval northern France and western Belgium, revealing the civic and religious dimensions of their craft, or trace the procurement of pottery for monastic complexes in Ravenna during the 16th and 17th centuries, correlating archival inventories with excavated finds. Such investigations bring to life the workshops, the markets, and the daily routines surrounding ceramic production and consumption.

Beyond the written word, the visual realm offers its own profound insights. Iconographic sources, from mural paintings to illuminated manuscripts, serve as invaluable tools for contextualizing and dating ceramic artifacts. Imagine examining the depictions of ceramic vessels within the sacred art of Mount Athos, dating from the 10th to the 17th centuries, where ordinary objects, though secondary, contribute to broader ideological and theological narratives. These visual clues allow us to glimpse how ceramics were used, appreciated, and integrated into the customs and culture of their time, enriching our understanding far beyond what archaeological finds alone can convey.

The movement of both ceramists and their creations across vast distances forms another compelling thread within these explorations. Studies reveal the mobility of master craftsmen and the transmission of technological and stylistic knowledge, such as the flow of ceramic traditions between Abruzzo and Campania, or the circulation of particular wares like the "belle schudelle bologniese" - beautiful Bolognese bowls - sought after by figures like the blessed Chiara Gambacorti in 1381 Pisa. These investigations reconstruct the intricate networks of trade and cultural exchange that shaped the ceramic landscape of the medieval and modern Mediterranean.

Each contribution, whether focusing on the production of Nardò ceramics in Puglia as revealed through both written and iconographic sources, or examining the blue and gold lusterware of Valencia in Italy between 1425 and 1450, meticulously reconstructs the dynamics of use, taste, consumption, production, dating, circulation, terminology, and fashion. The collective effort paints a vivid picture of a long historical arc, demonstrating how the careful intersection of diverse historical sources unveils the rich "stories of ceramics."