The Earliest Maiolica Ceramic Dishes in the Old Town in Vilnius

Abstract

The paper analyses maiolica ceramic dishes from the late 16th and early 17th centuries found in Vilnius’ Old Town. The items in question were the first imported maiolica dishes in the town. They are classified and their production sites are identified on the basis of their technical and stylistic characteristics, and in accordance with foreign analogies. Thus, five plates are assigned to the Antwerp production centre, while the stylistic and manufacturing characteristics of another plate are found to be similar to the Haarlem and Antwerp maiolica production centres. One small bowl with religious inscriptions is assigned to the Faenza production centre in Italy. A fragment of a berrettino-type plate is associated with the Liguria region or Venice. The paper attempts to assess the significance of the first maiolica dishes in daily life in Vilnius in the late 16thand early 17th centuries. The relationship between the find spots and historical data suggests that four dishes could be associated with Catholic monasteries. During the period in question, maiolica ceramics were a rarity: they performed both an aesthetic and a luxury function; on three pieces of bottoms of plates, holes were found for hanging the plate on the wall. The information presented in the paper provides an opportunity to deepen our knowledge about maiolica dishes in Vilnius’ Old Town, which have not been investigated much, and to identify the prospects for further research.