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

Green-glazed Triana storage jar — Seville, late 15th century

Interesting small-format jar made in the Triana kilns, Seville, in the late 15th century, representative of the Sevillian Mudéjar ceramic tradition as it transitioned into the Modern Age.

Made in fired clay worked on a potter's wheel, it presents an ovoid body, rounded shoulders and a progressive narrowing toward the base. The circular mouth, of a smaller diameter relative to the body, is finished with a thick molded annular lip.

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

Notable are the marks or visible pottery stamps on the body and the base, elements of interest for the study of the workshops and production systems of Triana ceramics from the late Middle Ages.

Triana constituted, since medieval times, one of the main pottery centers of the Iberian Peninsula, heir to an important Islamic and Mudéjar tradition. Its workshops developed extensive production both decorative and utilitarian, attaining particular relevance during the 15th and 16th centuries.

This piece belongs to the typology of small storage jars or orzas for domestic use, considerably smaller than the large storage 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 age patina, 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.

Cataloging

* Item: Storage jar / orza
* Origin: Triana, Seville, Spain
* Era: Late 15th century
* Approximate chronology: ca. 1475–1500
* Period: Mudéjar tradition / transition to the Modern Age
* Material: Terracotta
* Technique: Wheel-thrown and fired
* Covering: Green copper-lead glaze
* Marks: Visible pottery stamps on body and base
* Format: Small
* Approximate measurements: 55 × 30 cm
* Condition: Generally good for its considerable age, showing losses and wear consistent with use and the passage of time.

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