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

An interesting small-format storage jar made in the pottery workshops of Triana, Seville, in the late 15th century, representative of the Sevillian Mudéjar ceramic tradition during the transition to the Early Modern period.

Made of wheel-thrown terracotta, it has an ovoid body, rounded shoulders, and a gradual taper toward the base. The circular mouth, narrow in relation to the body, is finished with a thick, molded annular rim.

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

Of particular note are the potter’s marks or stamps visible on the body and lower section, which are of interest for the study of workshops and production systems in late medieval Triana ceramics.

From medieval times onward, Triana was one of the main pottery centers on the Iberian Peninsula, heir to an important Islamic and Mudéjar tradition. Its workshops developed extensive decorative and utilitarian production, becoming especially significant during the 15th and 16th centuries.

This piece belongs to the type of small storage jars or orzas used for domestic storage, considerably smaller than the large jars intended for the bulk storage of liquids or agricultural products.

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

It retains an attractive aged patina, with wear, isolated losses to the glaze, surface deposits, firing irregularities, and signs of use, all consistent with a utilitarian piece more than five centuries old.

Cataloguing

* Object: Storage jar / orza
* Origin: Triana, Seville, Spain
* Period: Late 15th century
* Approximate date: ca. 1475–1500
* Period: Mudéjar tradition / transition to the Early Modern period
* Material: Terracotta
* Technique: Wheel-thrown and fired
* Surface: Copper-green lead glaze
* Marks: Potter’s stamps or marks visible on the body and base
* Format: Small
* Approximate measurements: 55 × 30 cm
* Condition: Good overall condition considering its considerable age, with losses and wear consistent with use and the passage of time.

An attractive and uncommon piece of late medieval Triana pottery, more than five centuries old, of particular interest to collectors of historic Spanish ceramics and Mudéjar art.