Margot Le Clerc, February 28, 2025 Kingdom of Atlantia
Tired of polymer clay and wanting to get back to my Western North Carolina artistic roots, I joined a local makerspace in late 2024 to use their pottery area. In order to practice common techniques, I decided to take inspiration from documented examples of European stoneware in the 15th-16th century, specifically of the Raeren area. Due to the popularity of Raeren pottery in the time period, the pottery from this region also aligns with that of my persona from 15th century Alsace. The cups are based on numerous examples, including some housed in the Töpfereimuseum Raeren, the Louvre, and images of items excavated from The Merry Rose. These items were created with as much consideration for the historical process as safety and practicality would allow.
Pottery from Raeren is often identified by the glazing technique. Potters used an iron oxide wash and salt glaze kiln in order to achieve a glossy brown finish (Raeren Stoneware, Historic Jamestowne). There is simple ornamentation prior to the 16th century, with the glaze technique and stability being the main identifier of pottery from this region (Townsend 81).
Raeren potters employed a salt glaze and limited decoration for their stoneware, much of it likely for daily use. The gray-body of the clay is turned brown with the salt glaze providing an oxidized, somewhat textured surface (German Stoneware 7 and Raeren Stoneware). According to Townsend, by the 16th century English pottery was not as strong as Rhenish work, the latter having developed high firing and glazing techniques, earlier than English potters (81-83). This surely contributed to its popularity and why it can be found throughout Europe. In later period, these decorations became more elaborate. Inspiration was taken from the potteries in Cologne which were closed later in the 16th century due to pollution concerns and fire regulations.
In many examples from the 15th century, Raeren pottery’s decoration includes thumbprints at the base of the vessel. While potters during this time used a wheel, they did not remove the pot via wire but instead lifted it off of the wheel which caused a vaulted base. To improve stability, the potter would then use their thumb to reshape the base, leading to one of the common ornamentation in older Raeren examples (Bende). Simple, sturdy, and functional these vessels were put to a variety of uses in daily life. On the Merry Rose, for example, the majority of the Raeren examples found were used by the ship’s barber-surgeon to hold various ointments and medicines (Townsend 81). The popularity of these vessels for household and medicinal use is due to the salt glaze providing resistance to bases and acids (Töpfereimuseum Raeren, Special Forms).
Brown locally sourced clay was used. As a new potter, I chose to use my preferred clay body and distributor, Starworks Ceramics’ Star Brown (Cone 6) instead of a gray-bodied clay as I find it easier to work with and it is accessible. The Raeren pottery examples used were well suited for practicing fundamental wheel thrown shapes. Similar to potters in not just Raeren, but everywhere, the clay was separated into separate blocks and then wedged before being put onto the wheel. A selection of vessels still on the bat are included below. This is before a wire was used. I attempted to remove one using the pull method with the intention to press the vaulted based in with my thumb. However, this resulted in the vessel being destroyed and will now be reclaimed as a new piece.
Below is a selection of pieces created by me (top row) and the examples (bottom row). For those interested, there is a variety of extant examples of pottery from the Raeren region throughout the 15th and 17th century available online at various museums.
Four clay vessels on table, with bag of clay in the background. In-progress pottery created at a Makerspace.RMN, C1917, Réunion des Musées Nationaux de France
Additional in-progress pottery pieces.
44848, Töpfereimuseum Raeren
Vessels after bisque fire.RMN, C2077, Réunion des Musées Nationaux de France
