Rhenish stoneware in New France: German potters, Breton traders, New France consumers

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "From the Bottom Up: Socioeconomic Archaeology of the French Maritime Empire" , at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The ceramic record of New France is dominated by coarse earthenware, faïence and stoneware produced in various pottery centres of France, with local varieties also found in the Saint-Lawrence-Valley. Within this French Atlantic pottery-scape, Rhenish stoneware represents a small but significant exception. A distributional-analysis of Canadian sites with Rhenish stoneware shows the importance of urban and fisheries consumers. A contextual-analysis shows the importance of supply networks based in the Bay of Saint-Malo, linking German manufacturers and New France consumers. Finally, a typological-analysis reveals the presence of both grey and beige pastes, while the decorative elements fall within a limited range. We may suggest that the transatlantic Rhenish stoneware trade was carried out by a few Saint-Malo intermediaries who handled a small proportion of the many styles that were available in Europe. Rhenish stoneware appears as part of the Saint-Malo triangular trade also revealed by Normandy stoneware and Mediterranean faïence.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• From the Bottom Up: Socioeconomic Archaeology of the French Maritime Empire   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2020

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 330