DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49517#0195
FAIENCE
139
schwarzvioletter Eisensteinfarbe”) drawn on the blue surface; (y) fired the second and
last time.
Much the same process was used in making the Kerma faiences. The double firing
must be inferred for the well made objects, but does not seem to me to be proved for all
faiences. Further, the deep violet tinge often observable in the black seems to me due to
the influence of the blue and of the glazing process, not to the character of the black color,
which is a carbon, not a ferrous black. For example, the inside of the mouth of several jars
had been colored black over the blue glazing solution, and this black extended from five to
ten millimeters lower than the blue glaze. On the glazed part the black had the character-
istic lustrous dark violet shade of which von Bissing speaks, but below, where it was un-
glazed, the black was the ordinary dead black (matt) of carbon coloring matter. These
same examples prove that the statements are correct in regard to the black being laid over
the blue, and that the blue and the glazing substance were in one solution. The black on
the inside of the lip of the jars just mentioned has run slightly and shows the blue under-
neath it, while the blue and the glaze are exactly conterminous to an irregular edge.
Another piece of evidence in regard to the glazing was provided by the tiles. A tile was
made to be inlaid in a wall, a floor, or other surface, and only its upper side was intended to
be seen. The parts which were not to be seen have therefore not been glazed, and indeed
the bottom still bears the irregularities of the surface on which the tile was made. Yet the
sides in all cases are blue, while the bottom is in almost all cases partially or wholly blue.
The blue on the sides is often partially glazed, especially near the upper edge (that is, con-
tiguous to the glaze of the upper surface); but the bottom is practically never glazed. The
blue on the bottom, whether it covers all or only part of the surface, is a fine layer of
glaze and color perfectly mixed but dull (matt), not fused to a glazed surface. The evi-
dence is negative; but if the tile had been dipped in two separate solutions, the irregularities
of the coloring would have been bound to produce examples in which an area had been
covered with one or the other alone.
All this, however, applies only to the black line blue background faience. The evidences
presented by the samples of incised faience show a somewhat different treatment, and must
be considered with reference to several different kinds of ware: (a) the blue background
faience with incised line drawing; (6) the blue background faience with incised black
pattern in larger areas; (c) the black background faience with incised blue patterns. In
general it may be noted that the glaze is often cracked along the edges of the filling of both
line and mass incisions, but these cracks do not extend into the body paste. That is, the
cracks are due either to the imperfect filling of the incisions by which air is left in them or
to shrinkage.
(a) Incised line drawing on blue background:
Superficially the incised line drawing on blue background may appear to be ordinary black
line faience. But on other examples, such as the models of boats, it was plain that, after
the color-glaze solution had been laid on, rather thick lines had been cut into or through
the blue layer (but not into the paste) and filled with a violet-black glazing solution
(perhaps the ordinary blue glazing solution mixed with black). The edges of the incision,
where not cracked, show a slight interfusing of the blue and the blue-black glazes. The
upper surface of the black filling is seldom on a level with the light blue surface, but
either slightly raised above that surface or sunk slightly below it. In cases of doubt, the
139
schwarzvioletter Eisensteinfarbe”) drawn on the blue surface; (y) fired the second and
last time.
Much the same process was used in making the Kerma faiences. The double firing
must be inferred for the well made objects, but does not seem to me to be proved for all
faiences. Further, the deep violet tinge often observable in the black seems to me due to
the influence of the blue and of the glazing process, not to the character of the black color,
which is a carbon, not a ferrous black. For example, the inside of the mouth of several jars
had been colored black over the blue glazing solution, and this black extended from five to
ten millimeters lower than the blue glaze. On the glazed part the black had the character-
istic lustrous dark violet shade of which von Bissing speaks, but below, where it was un-
glazed, the black was the ordinary dead black (matt) of carbon coloring matter. These
same examples prove that the statements are correct in regard to the black being laid over
the blue, and that the blue and the glazing substance were in one solution. The black on
the inside of the lip of the jars just mentioned has run slightly and shows the blue under-
neath it, while the blue and the glaze are exactly conterminous to an irregular edge.
Another piece of evidence in regard to the glazing was provided by the tiles. A tile was
made to be inlaid in a wall, a floor, or other surface, and only its upper side was intended to
be seen. The parts which were not to be seen have therefore not been glazed, and indeed
the bottom still bears the irregularities of the surface on which the tile was made. Yet the
sides in all cases are blue, while the bottom is in almost all cases partially or wholly blue.
The blue on the sides is often partially glazed, especially near the upper edge (that is, con-
tiguous to the glaze of the upper surface); but the bottom is practically never glazed. The
blue on the bottom, whether it covers all or only part of the surface, is a fine layer of
glaze and color perfectly mixed but dull (matt), not fused to a glazed surface. The evi-
dence is negative; but if the tile had been dipped in two separate solutions, the irregularities
of the coloring would have been bound to produce examples in which an area had been
covered with one or the other alone.
All this, however, applies only to the black line blue background faience. The evidences
presented by the samples of incised faience show a somewhat different treatment, and must
be considered with reference to several different kinds of ware: (a) the blue background
faience with incised line drawing; (6) the blue background faience with incised black
pattern in larger areas; (c) the black background faience with incised blue patterns. In
general it may be noted that the glaze is often cracked along the edges of the filling of both
line and mass incisions, but these cracks do not extend into the body paste. That is, the
cracks are due either to the imperfect filling of the incisions by which air is left in them or
to shrinkage.
(a) Incised line drawing on blue background:
Superficially the incised line drawing on blue background may appear to be ordinary black
line faience. But on other examples, such as the models of boats, it was plain that, after
the color-glaze solution had been laid on, rather thick lines had been cut into or through
the blue layer (but not into the paste) and filled with a violet-black glazing solution
(perhaps the ordinary blue glazing solution mixed with black). The edges of the incision,
where not cracked, show a slight interfusing of the blue and the blue-black glazes. The
upper surface of the black filling is seldom on a level with the light blue surface, but
either slightly raised above that surface or sunk slightly below it. In cases of doubt, the