Sevillian Mudéjar in the transition to the Modern Age. Ceramic Green-glazed Triana earthenware jar — Seville, late 15th century - 55 cm

Green-glazed triangular amphora from Triana, Seville, late 15th century

Interesting small-format amphora made in the Triana kilns, Seville, at the end of the 15th century, representative of the Sevillian Mudéjar ceramic tradition as it transitions into the Early Modern period.

Made of fired clay shaped on the potter’s wheel, it features an ovoid body, rounded shoulders, and a progressively narrowing base. The circular mouth, with a diameter smaller than the body, is finished with a thick molded annular lip.

The exterior surface is covered by a characteristic lead-based green copper glaze, applied irregularly, with varying color intensities and accumulations produced during the artisanal firing. The chromatic variations, small deformations, and surface irregularities are typical of the traditional ceramic production methods of the period.

Notably visible are the marks or seals of the pottery on the body and the underside, elements of interest for the study of the workshops and production systems of late medieval Triana ceramics.

Triana was already one of the main pottery centers of the Iberian Peninsula in medieval times, inheriting an important Islamic and Mudéjar tradition. Its workshops developed an extensive production of both decorative and utilitarian wares, achieving particular significance during the 15th and 16th centuries.

This piece belongs to the typology of small storage jars or ollas for domestic use, considerably smaller than the large jars intended for bulk storage of liquids or agricultural products.

Approximate measurements:
45 cm in height × 30 cm maximum diameter
Approximate mouth diameter: 10 cm
Approximate base diameter: 18 cm

It preserves an attractive patina of age, with wear, occasional glaze losses, surface deposits, firing irregularities, and signs of use, all in keeping with a utilitarian piece of more than five centuries.

Cataloguing

* Object: Storage jar / olla
* Origin: Triana, Seville, Spain
* Era: Late 15th century
* Approximate chronology: ca. 1475–1500
* Period: Mudéjar tradition / transition to the Early Modern period
* Material: Terracotta
* Technique: Wheel-thrown and fired
* Covering: Lead-based green copper glaze
* Marks: Pottery seals or marks visible on body and base
* Format: Small
* Approximate measurements: 55 × 30 cm
* Condition: Good overall condition for its considerable age, showing losses and wear typical of use and the passage of time.

An attractive and uncommon late medieval Triana ceramic piece, over five centuries old, of special interest to collectors of Spanish historical ceramics and Mudéjar art.