Exchanging Medieval Material Culture Studies on archaeology and ...

4 Biscuit wares
As has been demonstrated before, the raw material used in
Antwerp to produce maiolica consists of a mixture of imported
(expensive) white fi ring clay and a quantity of local (and
cheaper) red fi ring clay7. Aft er the fi rst fi ring, at the biscuit
stage, this oft en results in a red or at least reddish fabric. Only
aft er the glazing and subsequent second fi ring does the body of
the clay turn white as has been demonstrated by experimentation8.
Th e biscuit wasters from Saint Augustine’s church confi
rm this. In some cases inclusions of red-fi ring particles can be
identifi ed in the clay matrix. Especially in the case of tiles concentrations
of red-fi ring clay can be identifi ed in the clay matrix
when both types of clay have been irregularly mixed.
It has to be noted that a small quantity of the biscuit wares is
(partly) covered with a white powdery layer, probably to be
identifi ed as the unfi red glaze and proving that things could
go wrong at any stage of the production process. In some cases
the decoration has already been applied to the surface of the
biscuit but for an unknown reason the vessel never made it to
the kiln (fi g. 2).
From a total of over 2000 biscuit sherds over 80% belonged to
plates, 10% to albarelli or ointment jars, 4% to bowls and some
3,5% to tiles. Th ese numbers are very similar to the assemblages
discovered earlier at Steenhouwersvest and Schoytestraat9.
Because of the standardised forms of maiolica production most
of the sherds can typologically be identifi ed and only few deviating
forms occur. It has to be noted that in the assemblage of
biscuit wares sherds belonging to jugs are completely absent.
All plates can be identifi ed as belonging to two basic types,
both characterised by a foot ring or in the case of smaller ones
by a fl at concave base (fi g. 3: 1). In some cases the foot ring is
Sherds from a church. Maiolica production waste from the Augustinian friary in Antwerp 179
pierced with a hole, probably used by the potter to facilitate
the application of the glaze. Th e most common plate shows
a curved section with the edge sometimes slightly bent over
(fi g. 3: 2-3), the second type has a fl at rim (fi g. 3: 4). Th e latter
is the case in about 20% of the recovered material, quite a large
proportion compared to the previously studied assemblages of
Antwerp maiolica production. Diameters vary between 14 and
35 cm for type 1 and between 15 and 33 cm for type 2 plates.
Th e majority of type 1 plates measures from 22 to 29 cm in
diameter, where type 2 plate diameters are concentrated
around 23 to 25 cm and 29 to 31 cm. Some of the smaller
plates should probably be identifi ed as saltcellars.
Albarelli and smaller ointment jars make up about 10% of the
fi nds. Although only few examples can be measured because of
the fragmentation of the material, small, medium and larger
specimens occur, varying in diameter between 3.5 and 12 cm
for the 27 individuals of which measurements could be taken
(fi g. 3: 5). Small jars usually have a fl at base, while the larger
ones are characterised by a footring. Again, the typological
similarity to other Antwerp assemblages is striking.
Most of the bowls (17 out of 20) can be identifi ed as what we
might call the typical ‘Antwerp porringer’, referring to the
famous series of bowls in the Maagdenhuis Museum (fi g. 3:
6). Th ese bowls have a footring and horizontal trefoil handles.
Some however have smaller, horizontally placed strap
shaped handles that can be compared to similar fi nds from
Schoytestraat. Only one bowl deviates fundamentally from
the rest of the fi nds. It is large and deep and comparable to a
unique vessel recovered from the site of the Bishop’s palace.
Although the tiles will be subject of a separate paper some general
information is necessary to understand the complete
Fig. 2 Type 2 plate with unfi red checkerboard
decoration (© Antwerp Archaeology Section,
Jan Marstboom).
7 Dumortier & Veeckman 1994, 174. 8 Oost & Veeckman 2002, 62. 9 Veeckman 1999, 117.