Kalamazoo Book Blog: Maiolica in the North

[hrj]

Gaimster, David (ed). 1999. Maiolica in the North: The Archaeology of Tin-Glazed Earthenware in North-West Europe c. 1500-1600 (British Museum Occasional Paper Number 122). The British Museum, London. ISBN 0-86159-122-4

I do not have a "pottery problem". I have pottery; it's not a problem. This book is far more deeply geeky than I have a practical use for. It's a collection of conference proceedings covering archaeological evidence for the production and use of maiolica style pottery in England and the Netherlands. In addition to diagrams, descriptions, and photographs of assemblages of pottery from various locations, it covers the identification of clay sources by molecular composition, documentary evidence for production and import/export movements, and special studies of some particular categories such as floor tiles, apothecary jars, and flower vases. The bibliographies for the articles are a virtual shopping list for other publications on the topic.

I could wish that there were more color plates. While there are plentiful illustrations, there are only 5 pages of color (plus the cover image). For a topic as colorful as this one, that leaves a bit to the imagination. But the focus specifically on pottery used on north-west Europe provides a nice balance for the usual focus on the Mediterranean where the industry was centered and most fully developed.

I picked up a second copy of this book as a thank-you gift for one of my ... uh ... dealers. And, no, I don't have a pottery problem. I can stop any time I ... ooh, pretty!

Comments

[lapioggia.livejournal.com]

ooh shiny!

[katerit.livejournal.com]

On a trip with Colin and Kareina many years ago I almost emptied my account for a really cool piece of pottery. (It wasn't that expensive - it was just one of those months.) I look at that piece daily and have no regrets. I don't have a problem - I haven't sold any of the children yet, so I'm fine.