Dave--that sure DOESN'T look like an Olive Jar to me! Though I could be wrong, of course. Those we find on the
east coast are almost never decorated like yours, and tend not to be so globular. I would guess Korean or
Chinese... Perhaps what you hear rattling around is a Kim Chee seed? ( :) ) Carl Steen
2/23/2001 8:52:40 AM, Anita Cohen-Williams <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Dave,
>
>I agree with Ron. This vessel is what we (meaning the Center for Spanish
>Colonial Research) classify as an olive jar. These urns were used to
>transport olive oil, honey and wine from Spain to the Internal Provinces
>here in the New World.
>
>What you hear rattling around may be an olive pit or two. :)
>
>References:
>
>Marken, Mitchell W. POTTERY FROM SPANISH SHIPWRECKS 1500-1800 (University
>Press of Florida, 1994). Marken caught a lot of flack because he examined
>olive jars from private collectors, but it is an extremely useful book. He
>has a great bibliography.
>
>Lister, Florence C., and Robert H. Lister. ANDALUSIAN CERAMICS IN SPAIN AND
>NEW SPAIN: A CULTURAL REGISTER FROM THE THIRD CENTURY B.C. TO 1700
>(University of Arizona Press, 1987). Excellent coverage.
>
>Goggin, John M. "The Spanish Olive Jar: An Introductory Study," In PAPERS
>IN CARIBBEAN ANTHROPOLOGY, vol. 62. Yale University Publications in
>Anthropology, New Haven, 1960.
>
>I have a lot of others if you need more help.
>
>
>
>
>At 09:38 AM 2/23/2001 -0500, you wrote:
>>In a message dated 2/22/01 2:02:44 PM Pacific Standard Time,
>>[log in to unmask] writes:
>>
>><< I am soliciting help in the identification of a large ceramic jar or urn
>>
>> that a fisherman excavated from the lower intertidal zone of Cook Inlet,
>>
>> Alaska. I have posted some pictures and other details at
>> http://www.alaska.net/~oha/urn/
>> >>
>>Dave, This urn looks suspiciously like the maritime oil transport jars used
>>by Spanish merchants from the 15th through 18th centuries, which often got
>>recycled as water jars here in California. The actual shapes varried because
>>they were designed to be packed in cargo holds and as ballast. Spanish
>>exploration of Alaska goes at least back to the Malaspina Expedition. Spain
>>had a small cannon fort at Nootka. I suggest you pursue this line of
>>research. Robert Lister published a number of articles and books on Spanish
>>pottery, including storage jars. I suggest you arrange to have X-ray
>>spectography or some other sourcing study on the clay to see if you can link
>>it with known clay sources in Spain or Europe. You might check with Russell
>>Skrowneck (spelling?) at the University of Santa Clara, California for
>>guidance on this approach.
>>
>>Ron May
>>Legacy 106, Inc.
>>
>
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