{"id":318,"date":"2017-07-11T17:29:36","date_gmt":"2017-07-11T16:29:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.courtauld.ac.uk\/illuminating-objects\/?page_id=318"},"modified":"2020-08-13T12:40:31","modified_gmt":"2020-08-13T11:40:31","slug":"spanish-lustre-dish","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.courtauld.ac.uk\/illuminating-objects\/illuminating-objects-home\/spanish-lustre-dish\/","title":{"rendered":"Spanish Lustre Dish"},"content":{"rendered":"

Who would imagine that a simple piece of earthenware can speak volumes about the economy, science, fashion, and political upheavals of Renaissance Spain? Tanja Tolar peels back these layers of meaning as she looks at a dish in The Courtauld Gallery’s collection, made between 1500\u201325.<\/p>\n

Work on this project was carried out by Tanja during her PhD in the History of Art and Archaeology at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.<\/p>\n\n

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\"Dish
Anonymous Spanish maker, Lustre dish, 1500\u201325, Tin-glazed earthenware painted with lustre, 47.5 cm, \u00a9 The Samuel Courtauld Trust, The Courtauld Gallery, O.1966.GP.116<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spanish Ceramics: Craftsmanship in Context<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n

Likely from Manises, near Valencia, this dish is a product of the large-scale manufacture of lustred ceramics in the region, which exported its wares all over Europe between about 1400 and 1600. Spanish lustreware has a dual heritage, reflecting the Islamic and Christian history of the Iberian Peninsula: while the shape of this dish is European, the monochrome (one-colour) lustre and other elements recall the earlier ceramics of Islamic Spain.<\/p>\n

During this golden age of earthenware production, lustreware was one of Spain\u2019s most sought-after and exported luxury commodities. The economic success of this industry was due in large part to the continuous employment of Muslim potters even after the Reconquest<\/a> in 1492. Muslims living in Spain under Christian rule were known as Mud\u00e9jars. They continued to work within the decorative traditions of Muslim Spain, and were responsible for the transmission of lustreware knowledge, as this highly specialised craft was learned through first-hand experience, and passed on from one generation of potters to the next.<\/p>\n

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The small town of Manises was for many years the most important centre in the region of Valencia. It enjoyed thriving trade, and through its proximity to the international port of Barcelona, was able to export its wares all over Europe.<\/p>\n

The production of lustreware was costly because it was technically very difficult to achieve and the ingredients were expensive, especially the silver for the lustre and the imported tin for the creamy white glaze. Although it was a luxury industry, many of the wares thought to have been made during the 16th century show firing accidents, smudges, fingerprints and distorted handles.<\/p>\n\n

\"Dish
Above: Detail from the reverse of the dish showing a pre-firing smudge of the lustre. Below: Detail of light falling on the gadrooning of the dish, showing misalignment of the painted lines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Other recurring imperfections, such as the misalignment of painted and moulded decoration suggest the speed with which painters worked to meet orders. This flaw is particularly noticeable on the gadrooning \u2014 the fluted border \u2014 around the object. The presence of so many mistakes might also suggest a drive for quantity over quality. Perhaps the international clients of Spanish lustreware wished to wow their visitors with the impression of luxury, achieved by the display of a huge array of wares, rather than the exquisite quality of individual pieces.<\/p>\n

Spanish lustreware is extremely difficult to date because of the continuity of its designs. This continuity led to the invention of the expression \u2018Hispano-Moresque ware\u2019 in the nineteenth century. This terminology has recently been replaced by the more neutral \u2018Spanish lustreware\u2019, which describes the genre technically and situates it geographically, while at the same time distinguishing it from the earlier lustreware of Islamic Spain.<\/p>\n

Italy was the most avid importer of Spanish lustreware. By the time this dish was made, potters located in the Umbrian towns of Gubbio and Deruta had perfected their own version of lustreware. Their popular product imitated the look of Spanish lustre, although the colours were quite different.<\/p>\n

As interest in acquiring Italian lustred ceramics rose, Valencian lustreware became less desirable abroad and there was a sharp decline in exports. The region did, however, continue to produce its traditional lustreware, for a domestic market at least, well into the 18th century.<\/p>\n

Design and Decoration<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The design and decoration of Valencian lustreware reflect the region\u2019s complex Islamic and Christian history. Much of the lustred decoration, like the technique itself, recalls the earlier Islamic ceramics of Spain, while the shape of many of the wares is European. Large dishes like these (this one measures 47.5cm in diameter) were made almost on an a mass scale. Decorative motifs are fairly standard, consisting of stylised plants, geometrical ornamentation, and often animals and coats of arms. True coats of arms are an important aid in the dating of pieces but many are untraceable or purely aesthetic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The gadrooned pattern around the edge of this dish is one of the most frequently recurring moulded designs on Spanish lustreware of the period. Two further examples, seen below, are at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The shape is not indigenous to Spain and is commonly found in Italian and wider European metalwork contemporary to our object. It was likely introduced to the potters in Spain by the Italian merchants who exported these wares to clients across Europe.<\/p>\n