Writing set from Wittenberg

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Luxury version of a pewter writing set ( Hans Holbein the Younger , Der Kaufmann Georg Gisze , 1532, detail)

When writing a was ceramic , green glazed object from the Luther House excavation 2004/05 in Wittenberg identified by the excavators. It dates from the first half of the 16th century and has the inventory number 106/28.

description

The writing set consists of a plate-like plate with a diameter of 23 cm and a rim about 3 cm high; Three elements were mounted on this plate:

  • a small bulbous vessel with a narrow opening (identified as an inkwell that has been closed with a cork or similar),
  • a small open bowls, possibly for extinguishing sand , which was strewn on the read-leaving ink
  • an approximately rectangular section, delimited by flat webs, in which, according to the excavators, pens and knives were kept.

The advantage of such a writing set was that the ink and sand were better secured against accidental tipping over. The inkwell could be removed to mix the ink with hot water.

This is an artlessly pottery everyday object, which, however, is very rarely found in an archaeological context. During the excavation of the Luther house, fragments of at least four such sets were unearthed; a connection with the study activities to which the residents of the Augustinian monastery devoted themselves is obvious.

Although it was often referred to as “Luther's writing set” in the media and with this attribution always had a prominent place in exhibitions on the anniversary of the Reformation , it is not archaeologically possible to determine who among the residents of the Luther House in the early 16th century used the object.

Alternative interpretation: lamp shell

The comparison find from a Straubing pottery (around 1600) is a ceramic plate with firmly mounted pots, which is interpreted as a candlestick; the vessels were filled with oil, the plate with the rim prevented the overflowing oil from running out. The Straubing find, however, has small cylindrical structures in the pots that served as wick holders. These are missing from the Wittenberg find, i. H. If the three vessels on the Wittenberg plate had been filled with oil, the burning wicks would not have had a point of contact and would have easily slipped into the liquid; such a lamp construction does not seem very practical. “... the disadvantages of such a clumsy lamp disc are too great. If only attached to the edge, the wicks could have a reasonably reasonable light output. But it is precisely there that the oil would spill onto the table again. There is also no drain for oil. "

Comparison object: Writing set by Faenza

The ceramic Museum of Faenza has a ceramic writing (1510), which is a manger scene, apart from that has a comparable to the Wittenberger Fund structure: "the flat dish for storing writing utensils as well as fixedly mounted (and therefore roll-over safe) potty as Inkwells and water bowls to wash out the pen. "

literature

  • Harald Meller : Luther's lost property. Archaeologists on the trail of the reformer ; Accompanying volume for the state exhibition in the State Museum of Prehistory Halle (Saale) October 31, 2008 to April 26, 2009, Theiss, 2008, ISBN 978-3-8062-2201-2 , p. 296. 298.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hans Holbein the Elder J .: The merchant from Gisze. Retrieved on February 1, 2018 : "Pewter desk set (set consisting of a box with gold coins, wax roll, sand can, quill pen and wax roll holder)"
  2. ^ A b c Press conference, State Museum of Prehistory. October 30, 2008, accessed February 1, 2018 .
  3. ↑ Ceramic writing set. Retrieved February 1, 2018 .
  4. ↑ Luther's lost property . S. 296 .
  5. ↑ a b c Luther's inkwell? Retrieved February 1, 2018 .

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