Jar
ca. 1870 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Fez is an important centre for Moroccan pottery and is particularly associated with a distinctive form of blue and white ceramic ware which became popular in the late 19th century. These glazed Fassi (from Fez) wares were made by professional male potters as decorative ware for urban consumers. Their style may have been influenced by the appearance of Chinese porcelain, historically made available through Mediterranean trade. Another factor was the availability of increasingly pure cobalt blue imported from Europe from the 1850s onwards.
This jar or khabia was used for storing food such as oil, honey and vegetable and meat preserves (its Arabic name means 'to store'). The inside of the jar was therefore also glazed. The jar was acquired by George Maw, founder of Maw & Co., a British manufacturer of ceramic tiles. Maw initially donated it to the Museum of Practical Geology, Jermyn Street, London but in 1901 most of the Museum's ceramic holdings were transferred to the South Kensington Museum (later V&A), including this jar.
This jar or khabia was used for storing food such as oil, honey and vegetable and meat preserves (its Arabic name means 'to store'). The inside of the jar was therefore also glazed. The jar was acquired by George Maw, founder of Maw & Co., a British manufacturer of ceramic tiles. Maw initially donated it to the Museum of Practical Geology, Jermyn Street, London but in 1901 most of the Museum's ceramic holdings were transferred to the South Kensington Museum (later V&A), including this jar.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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Materials and techniques | Tin-glazed earthenware |
Brief description | Jar and cover, tin-glazed earthenware, painted in colour, Morocco (Fez), ca. 1870 |
Physical description | Large, lidded glazed earthenware jar with polychrome decoration (predominantly blue) on a white ground. |
Dimensions |
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Credit line | Given by George Maw / Transferred from the Museum of Practical Geology |
Object history | Accessions register entry: 'Jar of buff-coloured earthenware, painted in colours. MOORISH (Fez); 19th century. H. 14 ½ in., diam. 11 5/8 in. Given by George Maw, Esq., F.G.S., F.S.A. Transferred from the Museum of Practical Geology, Jermyn Street. Inverted pear-shaped, with wide mouth. The body is painted with diaper pattern in blue, green-ish blue and yellow. Round the shoulder is decorated with vertical bands of similar foliage separated by greenish-blue and yellow stripes. Round the lower part is a band of chain-pattern amongst foliage.' |
Summary | Fez is an important centre for Moroccan pottery and is particularly associated with a distinctive form of blue and white ceramic ware which became popular in the late 19th century. These glazed Fassi (from Fez) wares were made by professional male potters as decorative ware for urban consumers. Their style may have been influenced by the appearance of Chinese porcelain, historically made available through Mediterranean trade. Another factor was the availability of increasingly pure cobalt blue imported from Europe from the 1850s onwards. This jar or khabia was used for storing food such as oil, honey and vegetable and meat preserves (its Arabic name means 'to store'). The inside of the jar was therefore also glazed. The jar was acquired by George Maw, founder of Maw & Co., a British manufacturer of ceramic tiles. Maw initially donated it to the Museum of Practical Geology, Jermyn Street, London but in 1901 most of the Museum's ceramic holdings were transferred to the South Kensington Museum (later V&A), including this jar. |
Collection | |
Accession number | 4228&A-1901 |
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Record created | June 26, 2008 |
Record URL |
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