= > Übersicht= > Haushalt= >

==>  Deutsche Fassung      

Many THANKS to to Melanie Wilson, member of the
>75years · Discusion group for 75 years of the Middle Ages (1250-1325)<
who helped with a quick software translation.

Ceramics

Topic of this article are different types of ceramics, containers which were in use in Cologne during the beginning of the 14th century.
Before we concern ourselves with the development of the shaping, some terms should be made clear.
Production predominantly lay in one of the many pottery centers surrounding the Cologne countryside.
Some attempts of the reconstruction together with its models are to be seen in our ceramics gallery. These should not be regarded as the absolute types however: during processing this article evidence arose that the individual finds only stand for themselves, never as a part of a stereotyped mass production.

For the early and high Middle Ages no production of ceramics, i.e. of pots, jugs and cups is proven directly inside the city of Cologne.
A small group of Grapen and bowls of the late Middle Ages made from white clay with yellowish interior glaze could point on one of the earliest productions in the today's city. The white clay shows parallels to the Cologne production of furnace tiles. The tile bakers are proven in writing in Cologne since the 14. Century, the peak of this production is to be found in the 15th/16th century.

Around 1300 the need of household ceramics had to be covered by productions of potteries outside of the city predominantly.

Cologne as a commercial centre could offer a wide range of rich and high-quality stuff because of the pottery centers plentifully existing in the surrounding countryside (emphasis in the regions around Paffrath, around Bruehl/Vorgebirge with the places Badorf, Pingsdorf, Bruehl City, Walberberg and around Siegburg) and the extensive trade relations all over the countries. The Cologne people had little interest in expensive imports: the market offered to them high-quality products from the Vorgebirge or Siegburg manufactured in mass production in extremely favorable conditions. Contemporary prices for ceramics manufactured in the surrounding countryside are not known. They should not have been very high in the city Cologne due to the competing between the many ceramic manufacturers in close proximity. The potters did not rank during the Middle Ages among the well reputated and wealthiest parts of the population. Only by the trade into more distant areas the ceramics table-ware became the precious property. In Langerwehe e.g. a farmhand with his daily wages of 2 Schillings could acquire 14 dishes or 12 drink units, on the other hand what in North Hessia for a craftsman a ceramic container was only affordable with difficulty.

Are there any preferences ascertainable in Cologne for Siegburger or Bruehler ceramics during the beginning of the 14th Century ?
With the table-ware Siegburger stoneware was superior to products from the Vorgebirge.
But the latter plays a subordinated role for our time only, it emerges slowly and in individual cases only. In former times near-stoneware was the economically more significant form of ceramics.
Stratigraphicaly assigned in our focus without any doubt findings close to the foundations of the cathedral show a higher number of Bruehler ceramics. Siegburg-ware here obviously played a subordinary role.

 06.08.2003