Mapping the Ceramics. The Production, Distribution and Consumption of Champlevé Ware in the Aegean and Beyond (Twelfth-Thirteenth Century AD)

The subject of this master thesis is Champlevé Ware. This is a glazed table ware from the Middle Byzantine period, dating from the late twelfth to the mid thirteenth century AD. It is often referred to as a member of the ‘Aegean Ware’ family. Its greatest characterised feature are the gouged decorations on the vessels. The general research aim is to shed light on the production, distribution and consumption of this pottery type, the last aspect is less explored mainly due to a lack of relevant data. Champlevé Ware was not produced on a single site but in multiple workshops in different locations. It was manufactured within the western Aegean, namely across the Greek peninsula and on the island of Crete. Hitherto, there is substantial archaeological evidence to indicate local productions in the cities of Chalkis (Euboea) and Sparta (the Peloponnese). Presumably, workshops in other places did manufacture Champlevé pottery as well. The productions show regional differentiation as well...Show moreThe subject of this master thesis is Champlevé Ware. This is a glazed table ware from the Middle Byzantine period, dating from the late twelfth to the mid thirteenth century AD. It is often referred to as a member of the ‘Aegean Ware’ family. Its greatest characterised feature are the gouged decorations on the vessels. The general research aim is to shed light on the production, distribution and consumption of this pottery type, the last aspect is less explored mainly due to a lack of relevant data. Champlevé Ware was not produced on a single site but in multiple workshops in different locations. It was manufactured within the western Aegean, namely across the Greek peninsula and on the island of Crete. Hitherto, there is substantial archaeological evidence to indicate local productions in the cities of Chalkis (Euboea) and Sparta (the Peloponnese). Presumably, workshops in other places did manufacture Champlevé pottery as well. The productions show regional differentiation as well as connections between workshops. Champlevé Ware circulated mainly around the Aegean Sea, nevertheless, its diffusion was far more widespread. It was exported in significant quantities to western Anatolia and the Black Sea. In more modest numbers, Champlevé Ware has been found in the Levant, the western Mediterranean (Italy and France) and Egypt. The distribution of Champlevé Ware is illustrative of the increasing interregional connectivity due to the establishment of the Medieval Mediterranean sea trade network. Its transportation was strongly maritime based and Western merchants could have been responsible for their wide exportation. Consequently, these vessels reached primarily urban trade centers located near the coast. Distribution of Champlevé pottery did not often penetrate further inland nor small rural sites. This ware type can be considered as a product used by a large part of the Greek population, however further away in remote regions it is possible it acquired the status as an exotic rarity. Its commercialisation overseas suffered from competition with other glazed pottery, which as a result it was sometimes unsuccessful at thriving in foreign markets, especially in the Near East. The iconography of the decorations on Champlevé Ware is interesting. Animal and vegetal designs are most frequently found. Some motif types are excessively repeated and duplicated by potters in different workshops, most noteworthy hare/rabbit and palmette motifs. This suggest artisanal interaction and proposes certain (folklore) socio-cultural connotations to these decorations. The ceramic craftsmen seem to have enjoyed a level of artistic freedom. This resulted in a dynamic and innovative tradition, which produced an array of decoration-styles with relatively short lifespans. Champlevé Ware is a clear example.Show less

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Mapping the Ceramics. The Production, Distribution and Consumption of Champlevé Ware in the Aegean and Beyond (Twelfth-Thirteenth Century AD)