Post-Palissian Ceramics: moving beyond the master

Abstract

• French lead-glazed moulded ceramics are present in many museum collections today but their dating and attribution is often uncertain. This talk will use the collections of the British Museum and National Museums Scotland as its starting point, to summarise past scholarship and to look to the future for these objects. Recent scientific analysis carried out by colleagues in French museum collections has allowed for new light to be shed on a group of wares previously only known through their presumed link to the pottery master, Bernard Palissy (1510–1590). Moving beyond Palissy, the talk will explore the role print culture played in their creation with the help of a case study, ultimately leading to an unexpected discovery.