"Drink and eat, don't forget god” – decorated stoneware in a period of religious and political unrest and conflict

Abstract

In northern Europe, the 16th century was a period characterised by the breakthrough of the Reformation and the establishment of national states. Following the technological principles of printing and adapting the motifs of Renaissance woodcuts, potteries predominantly in the Rhine and Meuse regions started to produce relief-decorated stoneware with elaborate decorations. The appearance of these stoneware-vessels closely reflects both trading networks and a certain “habitus” of the consumers. The motifs of the decorations give insight into aspects of the religious struggles and political conflicts of the period. Based on finds from Norway, relief-decorated stoneware can highlight aspects of long-range contact, exchange, and conflict.