File:An incomplete North Italian Marbled (marmorizzata) bichrome lion headed baluster shaped costrel (fiascha da viaggio), dating from AD1600-1650. (FindID 883091).jpg

English: An incomplete North Italian Marbled (marmorizzata) bichrome lion headed baluster shaped costrel (fiascha da viaggio), dating from AD1600-1650. The remaining costrel consists of base, body and part of the neck. This constitutes approximately nine tenths of the original vessel with only the top part of the neck and thick flanged rim missing. The vessel has a tapering neck which swells into a near spherical 'bulb' shaped body before contracting to a pedestal shaped base. Two sets of diametrically opposed evenly spaced lion head lugs are attached to the body. The first set are attached just below the neck of the costrel where the body of the vessel swells, the second set are attached below where the body of the vessel contracts. The fabric is a fine pale red earthenware, the exterior has a red and white bichrome slip which is then glazed, the interior is glazed. The lower part and foot is not slipped or glazed.

A similar costrel can be seen in Hurst, Neal and van Beuningenm (1986:37 Fig.15) and Blake (1981:109 Plate 8.VI). The British Museum has similar costrels in its collection, Museum No.1855,0512.11, 1887,0210.88 and 1896,0201.51.

Dimensions: height: 228.92mm; width: 120.50mm; thickness of bulb: 95.66mm; diameter of base: 96.67mm; weight: 948g

Other lion headed costrels on the database are LON-915A31, LON-D5B6F8, LON-2B4865 and PUBLIC-799B2B.

Moore Valeri (2013:12) writes "Starting in the last quarter of the 16th century, marbleized pottery also became an important export. In relation to this, it is curious to observe that the first and most precisely dated finds of Tuscan marbleized pottery occurred in Great Britain - more than 50 different sites - and even in the British colony of Virginia in North America, in a context dated 1620- 1640 (Hurst et al 1986, 33) - and in Holland where it has been identified in numerous contexts dated from 1575 to 1650 (ibid 33-37; Baart 1985, 161-186, gs.24- 25). These finds consist of simple bowls and basins with a curled rim and a particular type of pilgrim's flask with four loops on the sides that British scholars call lion-headed costrels (Hurst et al 1986, 37, Berti 1997, 376, Tipo Cc 2 and g. 33/4) (Figure 2)."


Blake (1981:105) writes "So far few marbled closed forms have been found in north Tuscany and Liguria. Wide costrels like one found at Southampton may have come from Lombardy (Platt and Coleman-Smith, 1975; 181 no. 1364) (Figs. 8.4, 8.5(1); Plates 8.III-IV). The narrow costrels covered with a red-brown slip, which have been found by chance in many British towns, have as yet no close parallel in Italy (Figure 8. 6; Plate 8. VI)."

Moore Valeri (2013:25) writes "It has been stated that the red and white marbleized ware was obtained by pouring a white slip directly on to the bare surface of the unfired vessel (Berti 1989, 161). This is not true and numerous experiments conducted with a professional potter have demonstrated that it is not possible to make marbleized pottery this way. In order to create the marbling effect the potter must pour the slips (both red and white in this case) onto a surface that has been covered with a red slip (barbottina) that is still wet. This is necessary because of a particular technical aspect which, for the creation of a marbling effect, requires that the vessel be wet and the slips quite fluid so that they can run across the surface to be decorated. If the surface is too dry, instead of flowing across the vessel, the slips will condense and be immediately absorbed by the porous surface of the earthenware, thus creating spots and blotches rather than the smooth, flowing lines characteristic of marble, agate and the other semi-precious stones." She continues "Like maiolica and like most of the other types of slipware, marbleized pottery required two firings. Except for a few mould made shapes from Montelupo, mentioned previously, the vessel was thrown on a wheel (some of the more complex shapes from Montelupo may have been made using both techniques). When it was dry, it was covered with slip, red or white depending on the type, and then the other coloured slips were poured on it and made to flow across the surface by means of the rapid rotating motions, back and forth, left and right, made by the potter who was holding the vessel in his hands. When the decoration was completed, the vessel was fired for the first time; after the first firing it was entirely covered with a transparent lead glaze and fired for a second time. In some cases, this glaze is completely colourless, while in others it tends to be quite yellow so that the white slip underneath it appears as a creamy ivory colour."

References: Moore Valeri A., 2013. Marbleized Pottery in Tuscany (1550-1650). Medieval Ceramics, 33, 10-26.

Hurst, J. G., Neal, D. S. and van Beuningen, H.J.E. 1986. Pottery produced and traded in North-West Europe 1350-1650. Rotterdam papers six.

Blake, H. 1981. Pottery Exported from Northwest Italy between 1450 and 1830: Savona, Albisola, Genoa, Pisa and Montelupo, Archaeology and Italian Society: Prehistoric Roman and Medieval Studies, G. Baker & R. Hodges, editors, British Archaeological Reports International Series, CII (1981), 99-124.

Platt, C. and Coleman-Smith, R., 1975. Excavations in Medieval Southampton 1953-1969. 2. The Finds. Leicester, University Press.