Jug with shell appliques

Highly decorated pottery forms a special category of medieval red ware. This jug with shell appliques possesses a green glaze, caused by the addition of copper oxide. This category of ceramics is also called ‘Flemish ware’. From the 13th century onwards, it was manufactured in Flanders, but it was sold all over Europe; it is found all along the coast of the North Sea, from France to Denmark.
The development of this type of earthenware is the result of technical changes in medieval potteries, like the introduction of red ware and the application of metal-holding glazes in various colours. Thus new motifs could be created, like faces, rosettes, shells, scales and flowers.
Such earthenware was a luxury article and relatively rarely found. A separate category is formed by roof top decorations. Decorations of this kind gave the house-owner a certain status. High decorated pottery was typically luxurious crockery, intended to grace the tables of well-to-do citizens.