The Industrial Arts in SpainRiaño, Juan F. (Juan Facundo)
History
The Industrial Arts in Spain
Riaño, Juan F. (Juan Facundo)
Decorative arts -- Spain -- History; Pottery -- Spain -- History
Count Lumiares, in his work on pottery of Saguntum ("Barros Saguntinos,"
Valencia, 1779, 8vo), mentions having examined more than 1500 specimens
of pottery of different kinds, which he classifies in four groups: grey
pottery, cream-coloured pottery, yellow pottery and red glazed ware,
with ornamentation in relief (Samian ware); this ornamentation
constitutes, in my opinion, the only distinctive feature of the pottery
made at Saguntum.
Remains of this pottery are very frequently found in the ruins of former
Roman cities; a much larger number of specimens of all kinds have
appeared since Count Lumiares wrote his book, none however differ
materially from the terra-cottas of the Roman period found in Italy, or
in other countries. Some of the marks are identical with those given by
Birch and several authors who have written on Roman pottery; hence it
would appear that this industry was imported into Spain, or the forms
and marks copied there to a very large extent.
[Illustration: SAMIAN BOWL.]
The number of inscriptions and potters' marks met with on the vases and
fragments found in Spain is very great. Students who take a special
interest in this subject will find full details in Dr. Emile Hübner's
important work, "Inscrip. Hispaniæ Latinæ," Berlin, 1869. This writer
has collected the greatest number of inscriptions. He mentions 43 which
appear on bricks, 36 on vases and drinking vessels, 63 on lamps, 579 on
vases of red pottery, 115 inscriptions of doubtful reading, 21 which are
incomplete, and 56 written by hand. He gives us, besides, other marks
without inscriptions, representing hands, horses, rabbits, butterflies,
bees, flowers, etc. In an inedited history of the ancient city of
Emporion (Cataluña) [MS., Acad. of Hist., Madrid], the author, Dr.
Joaquin Botet y Sisó, has collected 198 potters' marks. A large number
are still unpublished which have been met with on fragments of pottery
found in Extremadura and Andalucia; we may therefore confidently assert
that the number amounts to upwards of 1500.
During the Visigothic monarchy, after the downfall of the Roman empire,
which lasted until the invasion of the Arabs in the 8th century, the
same style of ceramic industry, copied from the Romans, continued in
Spain. No special study has been made of the pottery of this epoch, but,
judging by the large amount of fragments of vessels for domestic use,
which are constantly found in ruins of the Visigothic period, there can
be no doubt that pottery continued to be manufactured in Spain. What San
Isidoro, who died in 636, says in his "Etimologies, Book xx.," confirms
this opinion, and undoubtedly refers to vessels similar to those of the
Roman period. (_De vasis Escariis, potoriis vinariis et aquariis,
oleariis, coquinariis et luminariorum._)
After the Roman domination and Visigothic monarchy, ceramic art in Spain
may be divided into the following groups:--
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