Multisensorial Experiences in Early Modern Artefacts

Abstract

This paper introduces a novel, quantitative approach to examining how early modern Portuguese ceramics reflect multisensory experiences, impacting their value and desirability. Our method combines archaeological and historical evidence to define a framework for classifying and quantifying the sensory appeal of artefacts, focussing on ceramics that engage smell, taste, touch, sight, and occasionally sound. Using a representative sample of sixteenth–eighteenth century Portuguese ceramics—primarily drinking vessels and plates—we developed a four-step methodology: identifying samples, gathering sensory responses from users, quantifying these responses, and validating results against historical prices. Through this process, we explored how sensory appeal contributed to the objects’ cultural and economic significance. Findings show that ceramics evoking stronger sensory responses, especially those stimulating smell and taste, had higher market values and prestige, suggesting sensory richness as a force of economic and social desirability. This study provides a replicable methodology for sensory archaeology, opening pathways for further investigation of sensory experiences in material culture.