Early medieval glazed objects from the Wrocław and Opole strongholds: function, origin and social significance

This study concerns glazed objects from two major centres in Silesia: Wrocław and Opole. All the glazed items from layers dated from the late 10th to the first half of the 13th century are appraised, i.e. ceramic and stone Easter eggs, knobbed rattles, ‘stars’ and pottery. Each category of artefacts is appraised separately as they differ from each other in terms of the production technique and presumably their provenance. Therefore, the locations of the workshops that produced these items is considered. Based on the collections from Wrocław and Opole, a different frequency of individual glazed items is observed, which is related to their specific distribution and most likely the different role of both centres. A separate issue is determining the value and social function of the glazed vessels, Easter eggs and rattles. In contrast, less emphasis is placed on their symbolic function, as this issue has been widely discussed by other researchers.