Abstract
Thin section, XRPD, and SEM-EDS analyses were carried out on pastes and glazes of 12th-13th c. glazed cooking wares found out at Palazzo Ducale of Genoa (Liguria, NW Italy). Seven productions different in compositional, technical and typological characteristics were recognised. Imports from centres located in the northern Mediterranean sector included between Spain and the Aegean-Anatolian area, as well as an early local production (from Savona workshops), were identified. The comparison between all these specialised productions shows a fairly homogenous technical knowledge. Ca-poor (Fe-rich alluvial or kaolinitic) clays with quartz-rich temper were generally used for the body, which give the cooking wares a good resistance to thermal shocks. Firing temperatures were relatively high, while both single- and double-fired productions have been identified. All glazes are non-opacified and show Si, Pb-rich, low-alkali, low-Ca composition; no clear chemical clusters are generally recognisable. Fe is the only colouring agent of the glazes, but its presence could be unintentional in most cases.