Medieval white fine-grained kaolinitic ceramics in the Czech lands in finds from Pilsen and České Budějovice

Abstract

Abstract: In Czech and Central European archaeological literature, miniature vessels made of whitish, finegrained clay and sometimes decorated with red paint and lead glaze have long been of interest. They are considered imports, the provenance of which is assumed to be west of our borders. They are found abundantly in medieval towns, rural households, aristocratic residences, and monasteries during the 13th and 14th centuries, mostly as solitary finds. Discussions are also taking place concerning their functions. They are thought to have served as vessels for spices, ointments, fragrant essences, or mostly as children’s toys, as they often appear in ceramic assemblages together with small ceramic figures. The specific group of this ceramic ware is referred to as weiße feine Irdenware in German literature, and is characterized by the high content of kaolin or kaolinitic clays in the ceramic mass, traces of wheel throwing and high firing temperatures in the oxidizing atmosphere. The aim of the paper is to analyse the vessels’ technology and morphology and solve the issues of their provenance, dating, and function. The aim is also to explain the possible ways in which these vessels made their way into a range of urban, aristocratic, and rural households. Special attention in two case studies is focused on white ceramics from Pilsen and České Budějovice, which has not yet been evaluated in the literature; this includes a petrographic analysis, which indicates a different origin of these products.