Pottery and Porcelain, from early times down to the Philadelphia exhibition of 1876Elliott, Charles Wyllys
History
Pottery and Porcelain, from early times down to the Philadelphia exhibition of 1876
Elliott, Charles Wyllys
Pottery -- History; Pottery -- Marks
We know but little of the history of the German or Teutonic tribes
before the time of Cæsar; but it was found then that here existed
strong, handsome, vigorous races, who had reached an unexpected degree
of civilization. They had brilliant arms and armor; they respected
woman, and honored old age. In the museums are found examples of the
early German unglazed pottery, so much like that found in Egypt, in
Gaul, in Peru, and in most other parts of the globe, examples of which
are shown in our first chapter upon unglazed pottery. Just when they
began to use the glaze for the finishing and protection of pottery, we
do not know. But it is known that it was in use there some two hundred
years before it had been applied in Italy in the 1400's A. D. There are
evidences sufficient to prove that the use of enamel, in which tin was
an element, was known in Germany as early as the thirteenth century.
The most famous piece of this early glazed pottery is to be seen in the
Church of the Cross, at Breslau, Prussian Silesia. It is a great
monument of pottery, built in honor of the founder of the church, Henry
IV. of Silesia. He lies at length, the size of life, wearing his armor
and his crown, and with a sword in the right hand, a shield in the left.
Around the sarcophagus upon which he lies are twenty-one figures in
bass-relief, the whole executed in the style of the earliest
German-Gothic. Upon the monument is an inscription, saying that Henry
IV. died on the night of St. John, in 1290, etc., etc. This does not
prove that the monument was executed then; but there are other proofs
that it was made about that time, in the dress, etc., etc.
The name most conspicuous among the early potters of Germany is
Hirschvogel, who worked at Nuremberg, and who, indeed, founded potteries
there which continued through the century. He was born in 1441, and died
in 1525. He appears to have been a painter upon glass, but from that
went to the production of glazed pottery. Large plaques in bass-relief
exist of this work, and also artistic earthen-ware stoves, some of which
are elaborately and beautifully modeled. Examples of these, as well as
pots, cruches, etc., etc., are to be seen in the museum at Nuremberg.
The work of the German potters appears to have been finished with the
glaze earlier than that of any others of Europe, except that of the
Moors, in Spain.
CHAPTER V.
GLAZED POTTERY.--MOORISH, PERSIAN, RHODIAN, ETC., ETC.
The Arabs in Spain.--Cordova, Granada, Seville.--Enamel and
Lustres.--Hispano-Moresque.--The Alhambra.--Tiles.--Vase of the
Alhambra.--Malaga.--Majorca and Maiolica.--Rhodian
Pottery.--Damascus Pottery.--Persian and Arabic Pottery.--Persian
Porcelain.--Persian and Arabic Tiles.
Before giving some particulars of the interesting examples of pottery
which have come to us from the Arabs and the Moors of Spain, it may be
well to devote a few moments to the people themselves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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