A selection of ceramics through the ages (5 second delay) Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology The Collections:
PotWeb: Ceramics online
@ the Ashmolean Museum
Early Europe & Near East
Classical to Medieval
Europe from 1500
Oriental & Islamic
A Vessel for everyman and his family
Changing fashions
An astonishing variety of decorative styles was present by the thirteenth century. Serving vessels often display a masterly sense of design and allowing colourful motifs on vessels to be enjoyed by the full range of society. Quantitative analysis has revealed a preference for mottled green glaze in everyday life, through three centuries. Visual imagery including colour was all important to medieval man, who must have been adept at interpreting almost everything symbolically. Puzzle jugs designed for communal drinking games
Puzzle jugs were designed for communal drinking games
Shouldered drinking jug and lobed cup
Shouldered drinking jug and lobed cup for communal drinking, decorated with mottled green glaze
 
The development of ceramic stylistic innovations shows some periods of continuity and others of change. Fluctuations in design and technology are influenced by work in other materials especially metalwork, and by the social and functional differentiation between consumers and regional and continental economic links and their political requirements.
How is a vessel defined? A Vessel for ... Dated parallels
© Copyright University of Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, 2000
The Ashmolean Museum retains the copyright of all materials
used here and in its Museum Web pages.
last updated: jcm/21-dec-2000