Architectural Terracottas Research Articles

Technological integration and innovation in architectural ceramics in the Yuan Dynasty: chemical investigation for the glazed tiles of the Prince Anxi’ s mansion, China

Glazed tiles, a symbol of high-grade architecture in ancient China, first appeared in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD. 386–534). They reached their peak in the Ming and Qing Dynasties (AD. 1368–1912), and the Yuan Dynasty (AD. 1271–1368) was a key stage in the development and maturity of the glazed tile technology. As one of the representatives of royal architecture in the early Yuan Dynasty, scientific research on the unearthed glazed tiles from the site of Prince Anxi’s mansion can assist to understand how glazed tile technology matured during the Yuan Dynasty. Using compositional analysis and microscopic observation, 24 glazed tiles from the Prince Anxi’s mansion were systematically examined in this study. The findings revealed that the glazed tiles were made using four different production formulas and came from three different technological traditions, which originated from the integration of various regions’ glazed tile production technologies and enhanced innovation within the currently used technologies. The resulting glazed tile production technologies exhibit a high degree of similarity with the Yuandadu ‘s glazed tile production technologies, suggesting that integration and innovation are crucial for the Yuan Dynasty’s glazed tile technologies to mature.

The Arvid Andrén Collection at the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo

The volume documents the Arvid Andrén Collection of Antiquities, donated by the collector’s son, Per Axel Andrén, to the Museum of Cultural History at the University of Oslo in 2001. The introduction provides background about Arvid Andrén (1902–1999), who was an eminent Swedish archaeologist whose interests focused mainly on Etruscan architecture. His groundbreaking study of architectural terracottas was published in his dissertation, which was completed at Lund University in 1940. Andrén was associated with the Swedish Institute of Classical Studies in Rome, first as a Fellow (1931, 1934–1935, 1939–1942), and later as Director (1948–1952, 1964–1966). For an account of his career and publications, see Clara 1:1–14. The second part of the volume documents and examines the 84 objects in his collection, some of which were purchased or donated by Roman antiquarians, including Michele Vita, Giorgio Fallani and Calvesi. The years of acquisition appear to be limited to 1931, 1934, 1949–1952, coinciding with Andrén’s initial arrival in Rome and the years of his first term as Director of the Swedish Institute. The only documented purchase made by A. Andrén outside Rome is the head of a Siceliote clay votive statuette bought in Palermo in 1931. The subdivision of the study into production areas attempts to follow the geographical order of ancient Italy from north to south. The division into geographical areas of production was chosen to better define not only the specific areas of origin, but also the rationale behind the selection made by the collector. The study has highlighted the presence in the collection of artefacts produced in Etruria (Northern, Inner and Southern), Picenum, Ager Faliscus, Latium vetus (Ariccia, Lavinium, Ardea), Campania, Magna Graecia, Sicily and Greece. The repertoire also includes pieces from the Roman Imperial period, the Visigothic period, and some of doubtful authenticity which are most likely modern.

Recent Archaic Period Decorated Architectural Terracotta Finds from Akalan Citadel (Discovered during the 2022–2023 Research Campaigns)

Akalan Citadel (Samsun/Turkey) having its earliest traces of habitation dating to the Early Bronze Age, seems to have been an important settlement during the Orientalising period. This is understood from the South Ionian Wild Goat style pottery finds as well as roof tiles and decorated architectural terracottas from this period. This work aims to introduce the recent decorated architectural terracottas dated to the Orientalising period as well as to construct on the east-west interaction within this period.

Architectural terracottas from San Giovenale. Addenda and conclusions

The publication of most excavation areas at San Giovenale has made it possible to offer a much more detailed and more accurate account of the use of architectural terracottas at the site. This article presents the finds according to categories and types as well as according to their distribution in different excavation areas. It also discusses technical matters and chronological issues. A survey of all decorative terracottas discovered at the site shows that these were not as rare as earlier believed. The conclusion tries to sketch the development of the local terracotta industry.

Decoding Capua’s roof terracotta: A multi-analytical study of the Fondo Patturelli sanctuary and Alveo Marotta furnace (6th century BCE – 1st century BCE)

Decoding Capua’s roof terracotta: A multi-analytical study of the Fondo Patturelli sanctuary and Alveo Marotta furnace (6th century BCE – 1st century BCE)

Between the Byzantine and the Islamic worlds? Byzantine Polychrome White Ware

Between the Byzantine and the Islamic worlds? Byzantine Polychrome White Ware

Mineralogical, geochemical and physical properties assessment of clay deposits in Umuoke Obowo Southeastern Nigeria for industrial applications

This study assessed the suitability of clay deposits from Umuoke, Obowo in southeastern Nigeria as local raw materials for industrial applications. Ten samples were collected from different mining pits across the locality. X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction and physical property tests characterized the clays based on geochemical composition, mineralogy and key attributes. The clays showed high silica (56.41%) and alumina (32.82%) contents typical of aluminosilicate clays. Iron oxide levels were moderately elevated (3.34% Fe2O3). Clay minerals kaolinite (18.9-37.0%) and illite (0.5-4.15%) occurred predominantly alongside non-clay minerals like quartz, feldspars and metal oxides. The clays exhibited high plasticity (avg. plasticity index 26.61%) enabling easy moulding and shaping. Porosity averaged 21.33% appropriate for refractories. Firing shrinkage (6.5-19.2%) and density (1.54-1.76 g/cm3) were in acceptable ranges. Strength post-firing reached the 15 N/mm2 minimum standard. Estimated refractoriness was 1680.22°C. Overall, the Umuoke clays demonstrate favourable chemistry, mineralogy and physical properties for refractories and structural ceramics applications pending some processing adjustments. Locally exploiting these deposits can promote import substitution, rural industrialization and sustainable development in Nigeria. Further pilot testing can optimize formulations and processes for targeted ceramic products. Comprehensive nationwide clay deposit prospecting is also recommended. The clays are suitable for refractory bricks, ceramic tableware, architectural ceramics, wall tiles, pottery items.

Essay on two architectural terracottas from the Archaeological Museum in Agrigento: Appendix

Il contributo presenta una terracotta architettonica esposta al Museo Archeologico «Pietro Griffo» di Agrigento e mira a chiarirne la provenienza attraverso la consultazione degli inventari e degli archivi del museo. Il manufatto è simile a un altro di provenienza incerta: entrambi gli elementi architettonici sono kalypteres hegemones del tetto di un edificio sacro di epoca arcaica della città di Akragas (fine del VI – inizi del V secolo a.C.). L'addendum sui due manufatti mira a definirne correttamente l'uso e la collocazione e propone infine una ricostruzione del tetto dell'edificio sacro.

Learning and Knowledge Loss: Returning Antiquities from Fordham University to Italy

AbstractIn May 2021 a group of 96 classical antiquities was seized from Fordham University where they had formed part of their museum collection. The seizure was directly linked to the investigation by US authorities of objects that had been handled by the dealer Edoardo Almagià. The Fordham material was dominated by objects derived from Italy: Apulian, Campanian, and Paestan figure-decorated pottery; red-on-white ware associated with Crustumerium in Lazio; and Etruscan pottery, architectural terracottas, and terracotta votives. The objects were all donated to Fordham by William D. Walsh and had largely been acquired at auctions or through a narrow group of Manhattan galleries.

Co-fired tri-layered Mg(Nb0.98Ti0.01W0.01)2O6–Mg doped TiO2–Mg(Nb0.98Ti0.01W0.01)2O6 ceramics with high temperature stability and low dielectric loss

Co-fired tri-layered Mg(Nb0.98Ti0.01W0.01)2O6–Mg doped TiO2–Mg(Nb0.98Ti0.01W0.01)2O6 ceramics with high temperature stability and low dielectric loss

Chemical Compositions of Chinese Glazed Tiles from an Imperial Mausoleum of the Liao Dynasty

Glazed tiles are characteristic architectural ceramics traditionally used in ancient Chinese royal buildings. Studies on their chemical compositions have provided valuable information regarding their compositional classifications and the provenances of their raw materials. Existing studies have mainly focused on the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368 AD) or later. Research on earlier ages is limited because of a lack of samples. In this study, we used an energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer to analyze the chemical compositions of 18 glazed tiles unearthed from an imperial mausoleum (the Xinli site) from the Liao dynasty (969–982 AD). The glazes of the tiles had a SiO2–Al2O3–PbO ternary oxidic system and the bodies of the tiles had a SiO2–Al2O3 binary oxidic system. Certain compositional differences were observed among the samples with different types of decorations. Compared with samples from the Yuan dynasty and later periods, the Xinli samples had higher SiO2 and Al2O3 contents and lower PbO and CuO contents in the tile glazes. The tile bodies of the Xinli samples had compositions similar to those of tile bodies from the Qing dynasty (1616–1912 AD). We speculated that the Xinli samples with different decorations came from different kiln sites.

Innovation and Revivalism: Powell & Sons’ Opus Sectile Mosaic

Abstract The late-nineteenth century saw a flourishing of mosaic in British architecture. Both traditional and innovative methods of mosaic-making were deployed in a wide variety of contexts from the 1850s onwards: in domestic, public, sacred, and secular buildings; for interior and exterior decoration; at large and small scales. Widespread experimentation with new materials, facilitated by the affordability of energy-intensive manufacturing processes, was complemented by a growing body of scholarship on the history of mosaics. Opus sectile was a novel type of opaque glass for mosaic-making that was developed by glassmakers James Powell & Sons in the mid-1860s. This new material quickly gained in popularity and was used in a variety of architectural projects throughout the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries (for a list see Dennis Hadley, Powell’s Opus Sectile Locations [Coventry: Tiles & Architectural Ceramics Society, 2018]). Through a discussion of the development of opus sectile and its use in the 1860s, 1870s, and 1880s, the article explores its place in a landscape of both technological innovation and stylistic revivalism.

Notes on Phrygian Architecture: A Sixth-Century BCE Date for the Midas Monument at Midas City

This article considers evidence for the form and materials used in monumental Phrygian architecture in Central Anatolia during the Middle Iron Age (eighth–sixth centuries BCE) to argue for a later (sixth-century BCE) date for the Midas Monument. Examination of this monument and other rock-cut architectural facades in the Phrygian Highlands leads to the conclusion that all of the monumental facades in the Phrygian Highlands represent buildings with low, double-pitched, tiled roofs and architectural terracotta revetment tiles that should be dated to the first half of the sixth century. This conclusion has significant implications for the history of Midas City itself and the nature of Lydian rule in Central Anatolia.1

On the Ceramic Imports from Sinope at Olbia Pontica (on the Example of Architectural Terracottas)

In the paper architectural terracottas — facade elements of building ceramics, which were imported to Olbia from Sinope for the decorative design of the roofs of public and, presumably, residential buildings, are studied. In the Olbian collection, fragments from various structurally-different parts are selected. These are frontal antefixes in the shape of multi-pelated palmettes and gorgoneions, as well as simas with ovolos and meander motifs and zoomorphic downspouts in the shape of lion protomes. It has been established that the time of the maximum spread of the Sinopean import of construction ceramics in Olbia was in the Late Classical — Early Hellenistic period. Usually, the import of such parts did not extend to the 3rd century BC, although the duration of their usage, along with tiles, was longer, which is recorded by finds. The absolute majority of Sinopean architectural terracotta finds come from the territory of the Upper City and are probably related to public buildings. Olbia, along with Istria and Bosporan centres, especially Panticapaeum and Nymphaion, was an active consumer of these products. Olbia still lacks evidence of its own production of architectural terracottas, although the tile production imitating Sinopean types is known. This distinguishes Olbia from other centres of the Northern Black Sea region, in particular Chersonesos and Panticapaeum, which are known for their own manufacturing of such products, inspired by Sinope. A significant amount of tile decor of Sinopean origin confirms the importance of the Olbian market in the trade of ceramic building materials with this South Pontic centre.

:Architecture in Ancient Central Italy: Connections in Etruscan and Early Roman Building

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A Unique Iberian Majolica Fragment from the Marketplace of Győr (Hungary)

This paper explores the origin, chronology, and connections of a majolica vessel found during excavation in the marketplace of Győr. The piece is of exceptionally high quality and counts as exceptional in the archaeological record of Hungary. It is adorned with painted cobalt blue motifs and lustre decoration. Its analogies are known from major museums’ collections, including the Metropolitan Museum, the British Museum, and the Louvre. Based on these, its place and time of origin could be identified as the 15th-century Valencia in today’s Spain, more specifically, Manises (now a district of Valencia) and between the 1430s and 1450s (based on the detailed chronological framework established from excavation results in the area). According to written sources, ceramic vessels and architectural ceramics were produced in Manises, a workshop following Hispanic Moorish traditions, to be exported to distant lands and on the order by noble families and princely courts, thus influencing, for instance, the majolica production of Italy. Following the expansion of the Kingdom of Aragon during the reign of Alfonso V, the Manises ware also became important in the court in Naples. The diplomatic relations between the royal courts of Aragon and Hungary can be accounted for the appearance of such a vessel in the territory of the Kingdom of Hungary

Harnessing plastic deformation in porous 3D printed ceramic light screens

Traditional fabrication methods of architectural ceramics seek to minimize plastic deformation during wet-processing by prioritizing sectional consistency. Adapting sectional thickness is critical for improving material performance to address localized functional requirements. Functionally Graded Additive Manufacturing (FGAM) enables a design-to-production process where sectional profiles can be designed to achieve targeted performance characteristics. This research utilizes FGAM with Liquid Deposition Modelling (LDM) to prioritize sectional performance over form generation. Functionally graded 3D printed ceramic screens are produced for decorative lighting applications. Custom tool path generation is implemented to create modelling techniques that capitalize on the viscoelastic properties of clay. The prototypes obstruct, reflect, and transmit light across their component sections to grade brightness and illumination. This paper outlines the methods involved in altering plastic deformation during the wet-processing of porous clay structures and the corresponding light-scattering behaviour of their ceramic counterparts. The light screens are organized by the resolution of porosity within each series of prototypes. In the 'Small' typology, deformation is utilized at the scale of a single print layer to form a dense multi-layered sectional condition that disperses light evenly. In the 'Medium' typology, deformation is compounded over multiple layers to form directional light apertures. In the 'Large' typology, extrusion variation is introduced to exaggerate deformation and generate multi-directional light scattering.

Down from the roof: reframing plants in Augustan art

AbstractThe Augustan marble “revolution” marked more than the substitution of one building material for another. It changed Rome's color, texture, and light, and visually redefined its sacred architecture. For centuries, temples in and around Rome had been decorated with brightly painted architectural terracottas, which typically featured a swirling array of plants and flowers. Terracotta was the material of sacred tradition, and the vegetal motifs employed on temples evoked a pious Italic past. The lush array of plant life present in Augustan art has not been adequately considered against this background. This paper explores the use of traditional plant motifs in Augustan art and architecture, with an emphasis on viewer response. It considers the so-called Campana reliefs before turning to a more detailed analysis of the Ara Pacis's vegetal panels. These, I argue, consciously evoked ancient temple decoration and drew it into the new visual language of the Augustan Principate.

Bodies and Glazes of Architectural Ceramics from the Ilkhanid Period at Takht-e Soleyman (North-Western Iran)

Bodies and glazes of tiles from the Ilkhanid period found at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Takht-e Soleyman were studied to identify materials and certain technical characteristics of the architectural ceramics as part of a larger project to establish different productions. In addition, ceramic vessels and technical ceramics excavated at the site were analysed for comparison. µXRF, SEM/EDX, and Raman spectroscopy were used for the material investigations. Qualitative non-invasive µXRF results allowed for categorisation of the glazes and ceramic bodies based on their overall composition. Quantitative analysis by SEM/EDX on a subset of the samples delivered detailed results on the bodies and glazes. Tiles, made from clay or stonepaste, were almost exclusively decorated with a mixed alkaline lead glaze. The PbO content of this type of glaze ranged from 8 wt% to 25 wt%. The clay bodies of some tiles corresponded to the material of the locally used kiln furniture. Moreover, glaze residues preserved on the kiln furniture proved to be from a mixed lead alkaline glaze with a PbO content of 15 wt% to 25 wt%, a composition that is comparable to the tiles’ glazes. For more insights into the local or regional production of the tiles, supplementary in-depth studies including petrographic analysis would be needed to confirm and further specify the results.

Same Language, Different Diet

This study uses faunal and epigraphic evidence from the valley of Cabrera de Mar in present-day Catalonia (Spain) as proxies for understanding complex processes and dynamics of cultural change between the late Iron Age and early Roman times. The faunal remains indicate significant dietary change, although the epigraphic evidence implies that language—in contrast—changed at a slower pace, as shown by the use of indigenous onomastics and the continued use of the Iberian script, coin legends included. To ensure an interdisciplinary analysis, the study also discusses change as perceptible in architectural remains, ceramics and funerary practices. Our study shows that cultural change can take place at different levels and according to different rhythms, not only on regional and settlement planes but also at neighbourhood and household scales. Finally, our results highlight the value of archaeology as a tool for studying and understanding colonial encounters.