A GROUP OF SPANISH POTTERY ON THE ISLAND OF CHIOS ΙN THE 15TH CENTURY

Abstract

In the middle of the 11th century, the renowned monastery of Nea Moni was founded by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos in the central part of the island of Chios in the Aegean Sea. During the same period (between 1043 and 1049), a large cistern was built to serve the needs of the monastic community in water. In the 15th century, when the island was ruled by the Genoese maona, imported Spanish vases were used to an extensive repair of the roof of the building. The majority of the vases belong to a type of large amphora and secondly, to a type of pithoi. The vessels originate from the region of Valencia and witness the flourishing trade between Chios and Spain.

Keywords

• Spanish pottery, lusterware, Chios, Nea Moni, monastery, cistern, amphora, pithos, Spain, Valencia, vault, Manises, Aegean Sea, Greece, 11th century, trade, 15th century