Lead-Glazed Jug

Overlapping rows of leaves decorate the upper portion of the body of this green glazed jug. Small berries show between the ends of the leaves on the bottom row. Formed in a mold, this leaf pattern was a very popular decorative motif on pottery of this period.

A revival or rediscovery of an ancient Near Eastern pottery technique that had been out of use for centuries, lead-glazed pottery began to be produced on the coast of modern Turkey in the first century B.C. From there, production spread to other areas and continued for several centuries, but this type of pottery was never common. Lead-glazed pottery was created as a less expensive alternative to vessels made from precious metals, such as gold and silver. The shapes and the decoration favored in lead-glazed pottery closely imitate those of contemporary metal tableware.