Abstract

From the point of view of ceramics, Iznik is famous for its output of pottery and painted polychrome faïence produced in the imperial workshops established in the town during the Ottoman period. To explain this choice of location, it has been suggested, without any concrete proof, that a well-established potting tradition had previously existed in the region. Discoveries on the spot together with a study of the Byzantine pottery preserved in the museum enabled me to demonstrate the existence of Byzantine potters who were active in Nicaea between the l0th and the beginning of the I4th century. The characteristics of their wares, whether of white or red day, are presented in detail in this article. Nicaea/Iznik must henceforth be regarded as a considerable centre of ceramic production, which was in operation over a long period of time.