household tableware from the marinid and nasrid period

Household tableware from this period, the 14th and 15th centuries, has its roots in ceramics from the previous Almohad period, although with certain characteristics which differentiates them. We will broadly describe this household tableware.

Ceramic surfaces tended to be treated with a green or brown glaze, with some pieces of Nasrid tradition covered in white with cobalt blue decorations.

One of the elements that stands out from these tableware assemblages is a conical plate known as an ‘ataifor’. This was a large plate used as a sharing platter by several diners. They were usually glazed on the interior and sometimes decorated with black manganese lines. Individual-sized plates are a rare find within these assemblages.

For the cooking of meals we find both ceramic pots and pans. The former to boil meals quickly without losing much liquid, whereas the latter was used to rapidly evaporate water.

Another very common element is the jug. Normally used for water, these were painted or decorated with sgraffito (scratching of unfired ceramics to reveal parts of the underlying layer). In the area of the Strait of Gibraltar, one of these jugs with a particular paint and sgraffito decoration very typical of this period has been recorded, a design probably introduced into the Iberian Peninsula by the Marinids from North Africa. Small glazed ceramic bottles were used for oil, vinegar or perfume.

Domestic lighting at the time was carried out with the use of oil lamps. These were typically tall with a round base and a shaft that supported a bowl for the oil.