Rhenish stoneware centres

 

The potters' craft reached its peak in the 16th century. Characteristic are the white to yellow tones of the the ceramic body and the artistically-formed applications. Preferred vessel forms were the "Schnellen", slim, conical jugs, and bottles and pitchers. Toward the end of the 16th century members of the leading potter family Knütgen moved to the Westerwald.

 

It is surmised that here potters first regularly produced a glazing using salt. In the early 16th century the Cologne "pot-bakers" were the leaders in style. Typical forms: "Pinten", short, conical jugs, "Schnellen" and bellied jugs, with brown engobe and decorated with applications. The application of a bearded face on the neck of many a bellied jug has given them the name bearded-man jug. The pot-bakers were forced to leave the city about the middle of the 16th century.

 

Frechen articles are often difficult to distinguish from those from Cologne, the reason is that many Cologne pot-bakers settled here after being driven out of their home city. Preferred vessel forms were often very large bellied jugs, enriched with bearded faces on the neck and applied coats of arms.

 

Raeren lies near Aachen, and today is in Belgium. The golden age began in the second half of the 16th century, touched off by the influence of Cologne and Siegburg examples. Early products were stoneware with a brown surface. In the second half of the 16th century the potters learned the reduction firing technique with which the ceramic body remained grey. Pictorial applications became the speciality of the Raeren potters, created by excellent craftsmen. At the end of the 16th century many Raeren potters migrated to the Westerwald.