Medieval period proto stoneware wine jug - German - 227 mm

Medieval Period Proto-Stoneware Wine Jug – German

Culture / Period: Medieval period
Date / Period: c. 1225–1375
Material: Proto-stoneware
Dimensions: 227 mm
Condition: Good condition

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Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 959

The current owner (S.N.J. S.) purchased the German wine jug from R.C. in Kolhorn, The Netherlands.

The previous owner, R.C. from Kolhorn, stated that the object had been in his collection since the 1990s.

According to the previous owner, the object had previously been in a private collection in The Netherlands since the 1990s.

No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object was available from the previous owner.

Background Information:
This medieval jug belongs to the important transitional phase between earlier earthenware traditions and the fully developed stoneware production for which several German pottery centres later became renowned. Proto-stoneware was fired at relatively high temperatures, producing a harder, denser and more durable ceramic body than ordinary medieval earthenware.

The vessel has a practical form with a rounded body, comparatively narrow neck, loop handle and pronounced horizontal wheel-turned ridges. Jugs of this type were intended for the storage, serving and pouring of liquids, particularly beverages such as wine or ale, and formed part of the everyday material culture of medieval households and drinking establishments.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, specialised pottery production expanded considerably in the German regions, with workshops increasingly producing robust ceramic vessels for both regional consumption and wider trade. German proto-stoneware and related wares circulated beyond their areas of manufacture through the commercial networks of medieval north-western Europe, including regions corresponding to the present-day Netherlands.

Dating to approximately 1225–1375, this jug belongs to a period of growing towns, expanding commerce and increasingly organised craft production in medieval Europe. Its functional form and visible traces of manufacture reflect the work of specialised potters producing durable vessels for regular use. As such, it forms a tangible connection to medieval daily life and to the people for whom vessels of this kind were practical household objects."