The Adriatic Balkan hinterland is an area which, in the later
Middle Ages, was divided into two states - Serbia and
Bosnia. From the 13

th

century onwards the greater part of

this region entered into the sphere of interest of the
European states, thanks to its many rich mineral resources,
especially silver and lead mines (Fig. 1). From the begin-
ning of this period, especially during the following two
centuries, Serbia and Bosnia developed strong and active
links with the surrounding world, especially with the
Venetian Republic (]uk 1986; 1996; Tadi} 1968;
Kova~evi} 1961; Kova~evi}-Koji} 1978; Stanojevi} 1970).
In addition to political (diplomatic) and economic connec-
tions, these expanding and complex links included com-
mercial trade, mercantile law, credit, problems of currency
circulation and others.

1

Connections were to a lesser

degree direct and more often developed thanks to
Dubrovnik, which was the exponent of the Venetian
Republic in the Balkans, so that these two trading powers
had primacy in continental trade for four hundred years,
from the 13

th

to the end of the 16

th

century.

2

The way was

thereby opened not only for the penetration of European
and Mediterranean culture into the Balkan interior, but also
for a mutual cultural exchange.

On this occasion we shall concentrate on the influence that
Venice had on the material culture of the hinterland of the
eastern coast of the Adriatic. This influence was established

in several ways. First and foremost, it was done through the
import of various necessary and decorative objects: cloth,
glass, pottery and silver vessels, jewelry and weapons.
Another possibility was by means of skilled artisans from
Venice and Dubrovnik, who carried out commissions in
large trading centres from time to time.

3

In addition to

these, products of local crafts appeared, created on the
models of imported goods, which were the most obvious

201

VENETIAN INFLUENCES IN THE EASTERN ADRIATIC HINTERLAND

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Fig. 1: Silver and lead mines in the Adriatic hinterland.

1 Most data on large trading centres and towns: ]irkovi} 1970; Kali}
1970, 55-60; Kova~evi} 1970; Voje 1970.

2 The Venetian Republic, under the rule of which Dubrovnik lived from
1205 to 1358, especially sustained inland trade in the Balkans, of which it
had great benefit. It actively engaged in business in the hinterland after the
Peace of Nimfea (1261), when it lost its trading superiority in the East
(]uk 1986, 137-140).

3 Written records mention goldsmiths, e.g. Blasius in Brskovo on the Tara
river and Petar at King Milutin, Jak{a, Benac, Andru{ko Stjepkovi} and
Antonije Hranisali} in Visoko or Mileta Radi~evi}, who was known
throughout the region (in Serbia, Bosnia and Dubrovnik); of special
significance are the glassmakers from Murano in Dubrovnik, e.g. the
brothers Luca et Ansuyno/Anssuino de Massariis and Mafeus/ Matheus de
Murano (]uk 1986, 140-150; Kova~evi} 1961, 81-82; Kova~evi}-Koji}
1978, 202-206, 218-219; Han 1981, 12-14). It is important to mention that
alongside a strengthened economy, from around the 1370's, there was an
interest in applied art, especially gold work, so that a number of boys and
young men, especially from Bosnia and Hercegovina, left to learn a skill in
Dubrovnik with one of the city's masters; from the second decade of the 15

th

century onwards they were known to work with a «local» Dubrovnikan,
living in Bosnia (Kova~evi}-Koji} 1978, 218-219).

THE HERITAGE OF THE SERENISSIMA
The presentation of the architectural and archeological remains of the Venetian Republic
Proceedings of the international conference Izola - Venezia 4.-9.11.2005
Editors: M.Guštin, S.Gelichi, K.Spindler
Annales Mediterranea, Koper 2006

examples and the most significant aspect of the cultural
influence.

Considering the relatively small-scale investigation of the
region and a very modest quantity of systematically treated
material, this is just a preliminary overview. Our aim is to
offer an examination of the types of products and the sites
of finds, in addition to the relevant literature on the above-
defined region. Furthermore, we aim to demonstrate the
Venetian influence in the late Middle Ages and the early
Turkish period, based on the character of exhibited mate-
rial. With this in mind, we have restricted ourselves to
product types which will provide illustrative examples,
namely glass and ceramic vessels.

We are concerned with the material that has, for the most
part, already been published. The quality of data varies
from small references to the finds to detailed descriptions
of material, which are considerably less common. To date,
specialised studies have only been carried out on glass, of
which the works of Verena Han can be especially distin-
guished for their quality, since she initiated the study of
glass in these parts (Han 1969, 7-30; 1978, 169-172; 1980,
45-62; 1981, 37-44, 77-101; 1981a).

4

In addition to the

mentioned works, data about the material can be found in a
collection of reports of archeological excavations,

5

exhibi-

tion catalogues, and (rare) works in which individual kinds
of vessels are analyzed and observed in detail.

Finds of glass from medieval Serbia and Bosnia originate
from towns, landowners' mansions, monasteries and ceme-
teries (Fig. 2). Goblets are the most numerous and various
finds, followed by bottles and less frequent dishes and
other ware.

6

In written trade-related documents, glass is

mentioned already at the beginning of the 14

th

century,

especially in the 1330s, when its import from Venice was
organized (Han 1969, 11-13). The available historical data
also includes the stratigraphic context of excavated sam-
ples, since the earliest finds originate from the cultural lay-
ers dated to the beginning of the eighth decade of the 14

th

century. From that time until the end of the 16

th

century the

repertoire of glass vessels was significantly extended, so
that the material from the Balkan hinterland, although
incompletely treated, offers a very attractive picture of the
various kinds of Venetian glass in circulation.

It has long been clear that there are two stylistic phases in
the glass production. Although imprecisely distinguished
as to their chronology, it appears that basic changes in the
formal and decorative appearance came at the beginning of
the 15

th

century. In that sense earlier products can be dis-

tinguished by their Byzantine glass production characteris-
tics, while newer products are completely Gothic in spirit.
Products dating from the 16

th

century represent a special

stylistic collection as the chronologically most recent,
while at the same time least known.

The earliest group, which generally appeared in the mid-
15

th

century, comprises shallow ribbed goblets (Studenica,

Nova Pavlica, Novo Brdo, Kraljeva Sutjeska: Fig. 3: 2;
Jankovi} 1986, sl. 6: 3; Juri{i} 1991, sl. 73; ]orovi}-
Ljubinkovi} 1958-1959, 329;

7

Novo Brdo 2004, 136-138;

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Fig. 2: Glass finds from medieval Serbia and Bosnia.

4 For material from Bosnia there is only one good overview, by Marion
Wenzel: Koji}, Wenzel 1967, 143-152; 1967, 76-93); Wenzel 1975, 203
212. For the 16

th

-17

th

century, most data on the material from Serbia and

Bosnia is in: Han 1973; Han 1981, 130-149, 175-201.

5 The material from Bosnia is known from basic sketches, especially from
excavation reports: Bojanovski 1972, 54; ^remo{nik 1949-1950, 416;
^remo{nik 1954, 214; Mileti} 1956, 22; Tomi~i} 1975, 183-186; Vego
1957, 132-134, T. V: 1-3. In the mentioned material it is especially diffi-
cult to set apart locally produced products based on the model of import-
ed goods, since they are usually very generally considered in the frame-
work of a collection labelled «Slavic ceramics», which is an inexact clas-
sification for late medieval pottery.

6 From the data known to date, bi-conical bottles and goblets appeared at
cemeteries; they frequently contained organic remains, occasionally
covered with a fine fibre-scarf.

7 Rather generally in: Fragments de verres médiévaux trouvés à Novo
Brdo, Comptes Rendus du VII Congrès International du Verre, Bruxelles
1965, Communication n. 244, 2-6.

Anðeli} 1973, 188-190), ribbed goblets (Biskup, Kakanj,
Kraljeva Sutjeska, Blagaj, Gradac, Trgovi{te-Ras: Fig. 3:
10, 11; Anðeli} 1973, 188-190; 1975, Tab. II: 7, 8; Juri{i}
1989, 55, sl. 49; Mini} 1982, 19-22, sl. 1) and goblets with
tiny drops - small snails (Veli~ani, Visoko, Belgrade,
Stala}, Kolovrat-Prijepolje, Mile{eva: Fig. 3: 4, 8, 9);
Anðeli} 1975, Tab. III: 9-11; Biki} 1994-1995, Fig. 3: 3;
Stala} 1979, kat. br. 89; Han 1981, T. VI: 1, 4; Kandi},
Mini}, Pejovi} 1995, cat. no. 12, 13). All of these types of
vessels sometimes have a blue thread applied to the rim and
there are very frequent examples where an applied thread
around the rim or body is the only decoration (Kakanj-
Zgo{}a, Blagaj, Kraljeva Sutjeska, Belgrade, Stala}: Fig 3:
1, 7) (Anðeli} 1975, T. I/2-4, II/5, 6; Biki} 1994/1995, Fig.

3/11; Han 1981, T. VII/4; Stala} 1979, cat. no. 88).
Somewhat rarer are conical goblets, smooth or with enam-
el decoration in several colours (Kraljeva Sutjeska: Fig. 3:
5, 6; Anðeli} 1973, 191).

8

This collection also includes bot-

tles, pear-shaped (Bobovac: Fig 4: 1) and biconical
(Bobovac, Belgrade-Belgrade fortress, Mirijevo, Kolovrat-
Prijepolje and Stala}: Fig 4: 2, 3; Anðeli} 1973, 132;
Anðeli} 1975, T. VI: 23-25; Bajalovi}-Had`i-Pe{i} 1960, T.
XIX: 3; Han 1981, T. V: 2; Stala} 1979, cat. no. 90, 91),
together with a unique example from Panik, with ribs on a

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Fig. 3: Glass vessels: late 14

th

and the first half of the 15

th

century.

Fig. 4: Glass vessels: late 14

th

and the first half of the 15

th

century.

8 In relation to the remaining known examples of this kind, goblets from
K. Sutjeska are painted more simply, with yellowish-white, light-grey,
pale green and red colors. Cf. Baumgartner, Krueger 1988, 126-155, Kat.
Nrn. 72-113.

9 Part of the bottle neck, profiled similar to the example from Panik was
found at the Studenica monastery (Jankovi} 1986, sl. 6: 1).

spherical body (Fig. 4: 5; Popovi} 1972-1973, 362-363).

9

Among the bottles, the most recognizable are the ingastara
flasks, which appeared in small numbers in this period
(Belgrade, Smederevo, Kaleni}, Novo Brdo: Fig. 4: 6; Han
1969, 20-21, 24-25, Figs. 26-29; Biki} 1994-1995, Fig. 3:
16; Pejovi} 1997, Fig. 2); in all, there is only one dish
known (Kraljeva Sutjeska: Fig 4: 4; Anðeli} 1973, Pl. V:
22). Glass is generally of good quality, poorly translucent,
colourless or with shades of yellow or, rarely, green. One of
the enameled glasses can be distinguished by its reddish-
brown colour.

The later group already appears before the previous period
came to an end, but is present in greater numbers from the
mid-15

th

century to the late 16

th

century. It comprises,

above all, goblets with large drops - gotti gropolosi, coppe
tedesche (Bobovac, Sarajevo, Gacko, Belgrade, Sopo}ani:

Fig. 5: 1, 2, 7), together with small conical goblets, smooth,
ribbed or with mould-blown decoration (Belgrade: Fig. 5:
2, 6; Anðeli} 1975, Pl. IV: 13, 14; Biki} 1994/1995, Fig. 3:
1, 2, 4-7, 9, 10; Brmboli} 1984-1985, sl. 18, 19). The finds
include also ingastara flasks (Trgovi{te-Ras, Mihaljevi}i:
Fig 5: 8, 3) and bi-conical bottles (Belgrade, Mile{eva: Fig
5: 10), while dishes appear exceptionally (Belgrade: Fig. 5:
9; Jovanovi} 1989, 100-107, sl. 1; Jovanovi} et al. 1990, sl.
11, 12; Popovi}, Biki} 2004, sl. 55: 52; Kandi} et al. 1995,
cat. no. 68).

10

Earlier vessels are of similar quality, apart

from the appeaance of blue-green glass. Only the bi-coni-
cal bottles differ, being here and there covered with dark
brown layers.

11

In addition to the above there were also vessels that,
although characteristic for the 16

th

century Murano pro-

duction, appear sporadically in the Balkan hinterland (Han
1981, 135, T. XI: 2, 4, 96-98, 137-138, T. X: 1, 2, 178-180,
T. XIV: 2). These are goblets with a stem around which is
a "garland", the appearance of which could not be firmly
established because of considerable fragmentation (Stala},

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Fig. 5: Glass vessels mid-15

th

to 16

th

century.

Fig. 6: Glass vessels 16

th

century.

10 Similarly also in: S. Ercegovi}-Pavlovi}, Pazari{te – localité Pe}ina,
Novi Pazar, Serbie, Musée de Novi Pazar, Bulletin de l'Association
Internationele pour l'Histoire du Verre, No. 8, Liège 1977-1980, 236-237,
Fig. 91.

11 We assume that stains resulted from a chemical change in the soil (Han
1969, 20), but it is evident that on the occasion of the second burning (e.g.
in a fire) the glass obtained its chalky structure (Popovi}, Biki} 2004, 94).

Trgovi{te-Ras: Fig 6: 4-6). There were several small bowls
(cups?) of translucent glass recognized, with filigree deco-
ration of milky glass, full and reticulated, formed from a
thread (Belgrade, the monasteries of St Apostles Peter and
Paul

12

and Mile{eva: Fig. 6: 2. A vessel discovered at

Blagaj on the Una river resembles a small dessert dish
(confettiera, tazza), but judging by its small dimensions
was most probably used as a salt pot (salera) or a pot for
spices (Fig. 6: 3; Anðeli} 1975, Tab. III: 12; Han 1981, Pl.
X: 2). A flattened bottle - patrina piata de vedri, patrina
mezana piata - found in the Patriarchate of Pe} represents
an exceptional example (Fig. 6: 7). The late 16th century
cultural layers revealed small ribbed bowls with rims and
decoration similar to the simplified reminiscence of mille-
fiori glass (Belgrade: Fig. 6: 1; Han 1975a) as well as sev-
eral other types of bottles which, due to the scanty data
available, were impossible to identify (Blagaj, in the cultur-
al layer around the Lazarica church in Kru{evac, St Nikola
in Kur{umlija and St Apostles Peter and Paul at Novi
Pazar). This glass is also of good quality, translucent,
colourless or very pale yellow or green in colour. Written
records from this period mention in detail zuche doppie
grose - a double or bi-conical gourd-like bottle of a rela-

tively large volume,

13

although this type has not yet been

confirmed by the material finds.

With regard to imported goods, it is also important to men-
tion the appearance of window glass - various oculi
(crown-glass panes) used to decorate public and sacral
buildings.

14

Throughout this period the demand for the

oculi was great and deliveries were regularly made, without
stopping. From the end of the 15

th

century and more fre-

quently in the 16

th

century, Turkish nobles were ordering

oculi from Venice, either directly or through authorities in
Dubrovnik.

15

Finds of imported pottery are significantly sparse com-
pared to glass and are restricted exclusively to majolica
ware. Apart from a few completely preserved examples,
(from Belgrade, Smederevo, Sopo}ani and Davidovica:
Fig. 8; Biki} 2002),

16

others appear predominantly as frag-

ments of jugs and, significantly less frequently, plates
(Bobovac, Kraljeva Sutjeska, Studenica, Mile{eva,
Hvosno: Fig. 9; Anðeli} 1973, 126-128, 186-188; Sijari}
1996-2000;

17

Ðuri} 1988, Fig. 69-A 105; Kandi} et al.

1995, cat. no. 29, 30, 56-60; Bajalovi}-Had`i-Pe{i} 1976,
79). They originate from cultural layers in towns, rulers'
and landowners' mansions and monasteries, except in the
case of Davidovica, where the condition of the find leads to
the opinion that they were perhaps a burial offering.

18

Among the majolica, the earliest and (among fragments)
only examples of the so-called "archaic style" in this region
were excavated in Kraljeva Sutjeska. Based on the condi-
tion of the find they can be dated to the mid-14

th

century

(Sijari} 1996-2000, cat. no. 1-9, T. I, II: 1, 2, 2a, 4, 4a, III:

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Fig. 7: Maiolica finds from medieval Serbia and Bosnia.

12 Frequently also designated as St. Peter's Church.

13 For these bottles, with a volume of approximately five tercers, i.e.
slightly under four litres, the price was four grossi (Han 1973, 167; 1981,
139).

14 Han 1972, with cited sources and literature.

15 Two hundred coloured oculi are ordered from Giovanni (Johannes) of
Florence in the 1480's, at the request of the Hercegovinian sanjak-beg
Ajas-pasha, perhaps for one of his memorials in Visoko or Sarajevo (Han
1972, 202).

16 With a discussion on the appearance of plates with Christian symbols
in Smederevo at the time of the Turkish occupation. Material from
Sopo}ani Monastery is being prepared for publication.

17 With note that majolica fragments were also excavated at Bora~,
Blagaj, Sokol on the Pliva river, Krupa on the Una river and other sites.

18 A jug from Davidovica was discovered in the parvis of the church, in
a layer of rubble under the floor, which was renewed in Turkish times.
Since burials were carried out on this site in the 16

th

century, it is

reasonable to presume that this completely preserved item was situated in
the grave. The find has not been published – we are thankful for the data
to M. Popovi}.

1). Judging from the excavation data, a great deal of majoli-
ca recognized so far is decorated in the Gothic-floral style
in cobalt blue, green and ochre in several shades. The base-
firing colour is predominantly whitish-yellow, while red-
dish-pink appears on significantly less examples. We

assume that most of the jugs were spherical with a beak-
shaped lip, similar to the earlier mentioned complete ves-
sels. Unlike most of the remaining material, part of the
plate from Kraljeva Sutjeska is decorated with a dark blue
colour on a light blue background. Otherwise, majolica

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Fig. 8: Maiolica vessels.

appears predominantly in the 15

th

and early 16

th

century

layers. There are a few examples of vessels from later
times: from Belgrade, the Studenica monastery and from
the cemetery area of the Church of St Apostles Peter and
Paul (Popovi}, Biki} 2004, 144-145, sl. 94: 157, 158).

19

Alongside the arrival of Venetian (Italian) goods, regional
workshops began to produce pottery, clearly leaning on the
style of the imported products (Fig. 10). However, on the
basis of treated and published material to date, which is
very limited due to the relatively small-scale excavation in
Bosnia and Serbia, it is only possible to indicate the gener-
al features of the local products and to distinguish individu-
al characteristic examples.

Local potters took only a few kinds of vessels as their basic
models. Of the ceramic copies of glass products two kinds
of goblets are known. The first is a ribbed goblet from the
Studenica monastery, light red in colour, with a red coating.
It was uncovered in a layer approximately dated to the mid-
15

th

century (Fig. 11: 3; Ðuri} 1988, sl. 31: 4 (A 40), 63-

65). The other example from the same collection is made of
ochre clay, simply decorated with a green glaze (Ðuri}
1988, sl. 31: 2, 48 (A 38). One more example, identical to
the last, was found at the monastery of Kon~uli} at Ra{ka
(Fig. 11: 2; Vukadin, Mini} 1980, 301). There is also a gob-
let from Stala}, based on the same glass model, which,
although simpler from the technical point of view, has slop-
ing incisions around the rim of its base (Fig. 11: 1) (Stala}
1979, kat. br. 117). In the same pottery collection, two gob-
lets with applied decorated drops are worth mentioning.
One, excavated at the Djurdjevi Stupovi monastery, has
tiny drops arranged similarly to those of goblets from an
earlier period (Fig. 11: 14; Ze~evi}, Radi~evi} 2001, sl. 17:
1, 52; Bajalovi}-Had`i-Pe{i} 1975). The technical features
of these vessels are the dark reddish-brown colour of the
clay after firing, white painted decoration and a translucent
olive glaze over the outer surface. The other, green glazed
goblet, also partly preserved, was excavated in Novo Brdo
(Fig. 11: 4; ]orovi}, Ljubinkovi} 1962, 176, T. VII: 2;

Bajalovi}-Had`i-Pe{i} 1975, 178-180; Novo Brdo 2004, sl.
66, 132). This vessel shape is associated with goblets with
applied drops, but the decorative element is emphasized
more - it is more substantial and densely placed.

20

Italian pottery served as a model for the formation of a spe-
cific collection of jugs, which have parallel characteristics
to the majolica of the late 14

th

and 15

th

centuries. Local

products belong to various technological groups: individual
items are made with kitchen-pottery technology, fired dark
brown or red (Studenica, Sopo}ani: Fig. 11: 13); sometimes
they have a simple incised (Bobovac: Fig.11: 8) or painted
(Stala}, Djurdjevi Stupovi: Fig. 11: 6, 10, 12) decoration,
glazed green on the outer surface; a few have motifs execut-
ed using the coloured sgraffito technique (Stala}, Gradac,
Sopo}ani, Studenica, Novo Brdo: Fig. 11: 7, 11, 14; Ðuri}
1988, sl. 33: 3 (A 71), 76 (A 103); Anðeli} 1973, 114-115;
Stala} 1979, kat. br. 136-138; Biki} 2003, Fig. 5: 1-4;
Ze~evi}, Radi~evi} 2001, sl. 16: 3, 4, 51, 64-65; the materi-
al from the Sopo}ani monastery is being prepared for pub-

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19 For the find from the Studenica monastery, it is noted that the
decoration was done in yellow, ochre and black, while the other has a
typical decoration in the shape of a medallion: Blago manastira Studenice
1988, sl. 35: 2 (A 145), 69 (A 105, A 108). In grave 23 of the necropolis
of St Apostles Peter and Paul, fragments of majolica were found which,
according to excavation data, date to the 18

th

century (Ljubinkovi} 1970,

221-222). The reliability of this data is not confirmed, since we have not
been able to examine the material.

Fig. 9: Fragments of maiolica vessels.

20 Applied decorations like dots/berries appear frequently on vessels from
Novo Brdo, so it is assumed that this type of decoration represents the
specific style of the workshop which existed in this district in the late
Middles Ages.

lication; Juri{i} 1989, 37, sl. 39, 40: as a valuable detail, the
jug has a gold wire pressed into the joint between the shoul-
der and the neck; Novo Brdo 2004, Fig. 69). For all these
examples the use of a model was limited to form, while the
decoration was done according to the preferred style of
regional workshops, in this case workshops in the district of
Kru{evac and Novo Brdo, as well as unidentified work-
shops of the Ra{ka area (south-western Serbia).

Three apothecary vessels (only one with a lid), discovered
at Novo Brdo, are exceptional finds for the hinterland as a
whole (Fig. 11: 9; Ljubinkovi} 1962, T. I: 2, 173).

21

The

vessels are made of red clay, with glazed exteriors. Two are
green, while the third is yellow. Although apothecary ves-
sels of this shape were well-known in the Byzantine
world,

22

we consider that a model for a late 14

th

century

example would probably be Italian in production origin.

On the basis of a very restricted sample it is only possible
to propose a general overview of the local pottery produc-

tion based on Italian models. In general, these were small,
non-standardized series of vessels or individual examples,
although there are indications that certain series were espe-
cially made in individual pottery centres. Unfortunately,
the volume of production based on models cannot as yet be
firmly established from the presently available data.

Without a doubt, the archeological material provides an
important segment in the studies of the Venetian influence
which, bearing in mind its ambiguity, presents a phenome-
non in its own right. Data about places where finds appear,
types and their chronology, although presented only briefly
in a general outline, are eloquent witnesses to the character
of the material culture in the Balkan hinterland. This also
presents a solid basis, without avoiding the need for future
detailed and broad-based research of this subject.

23

To that

end, individual conclusions drawn from this preliminary
analysis not only enrich the present knowledge, but also
offer additional explanations of earlier clear characteristics
of the Venetian influence in the Balkan hinterland.

It should above all be emphasized that the cultural influ-
ence of Venice cannot be separated from the role of
Dubrovnik, since even before they formed their successful
political-commercial symbiosis, Dubrovnik had gained
great experience, developed a network of business connec-
tions and recognized the opportunity offered by the west-
Balkan Adriatic hinterland (Kova~evi} 1961, 15-81; Tadi}
1968). The Venice-Dubrovnik activity presents a phenome-
non of a wider significance, since it embraced the sur-
rounding area (and workshop centres), connected to the
local production to a greater or lesser degree. We may
therefore consider Venice as the great collection point, not
only for various goods, but also for various workshop styles
and ideas. Likewise, both city states were bearers of a sin-
gle, culturally identical form, systematically followed in all
regions with which they were in trading contact. Thus the
Balkan hinterland actually inherited the Venetian cultural
model.

From the beginning of the 14

th

to the end of the 16

th

cen-

turies, glass and majolica vessels continued to be ordered
for the mansions of Serbian and Bosnian landowners, as

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Fig. 10: Finds of local pottery based on the “maiolica style”.

21 Based on the noted poor quality of these vessels compared to the other
pottery from Novo Brdo, it was presumed that they were used for carrying
wine to sprinkle over graves. Somewhat later, reliable identification of
these vessels was done from painted sources (view of a apothecary from
the manuscript Mimatura del Theatrum Sanitas, from the 15

th

century), on

the basis of which it was established that medecines in solid form were
kept in cyllindrical vessels. See: Novo Brdo 2004, 132-133, with previous
literature.

22 One of the best known examples is a description on the fresco of the
Birth of the Mother of God, in St Panthelemon's Church in Nerezi,
Skoplje (1164) (Ðuri} 1975, Pl. VII).

23 In earlier published works focused on the research of the economic
development of the region, archaeological sites were observed on a limited
scope, much less than the available material. See, for example: Kali}
1970, 57-60; Kova~evi}-Koji} 1978, 159-222, 332-335; ]uk 1986, 131-
132.

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Fig. 11: Pottery of Serbian and Bosnian workshops.

equipment for the households of prominent merchants and
for monastery refectories (Fig.12). This was a greatly stan-
dardized serial production, from which tableware was most
common - glass goblets and bottles as well as ceramic jugs
and plates. The greatest concentration was in the vicinity of
mines or along major routes, which is logical since these
were the most developed regions, with urban and trading
centres. The established trading trends were not significant-
ly disturbed by the great political and economical changes
that occurred on the territory of the Adriatic hinterland.
Following the independence of Dubrovnik and the later
Turkish conquest, a vast unique market was established,
enabling an easy exchange of goods. Nevertheless, produc-
tion was considerably reduced as was the number of con-
sumers, at least as far as pottery was concerned. The reduc-
tion in imports was certainly economic in nature, i.e. there
was a change in economic factors. Venetian (Italian) ware
and goods from Dubrovnik had been ordered by the rich
Christian nobility, who were destroyed upon the arrival of
the Turks. Thereafter, monastery communities remained as
the only consumers, with their substantial purchasing
power. Furthermore, there was a new and strong economic
class of Turkish nobles, who had different aesthetic criteria,
demanding orders of the production in the near-Eastern spi-

rit, such as the Iznik pottery. Although data in the written
records attests to the delivery of Venetian glass to the
Turkish elite in the Balkan hinterland, the quantity was
small, intended as a gift to sanjak-begs or individual orders
which cannot be considered as parts of a regular trade (Han
1973, 164). The residents of Dubrovnik certainly stayed in
urban areas and possessed a significant quantity of glass and
pottery, but on the basis of current research results, the
extent to which the Dubrovnik colony contributed to the
total import cannot realistically be establish.

24

In the later Middle Ages, the Balkan Adriatic hinterland
developed mostly according to Venetian models (Spremi}
1996, 92-97). Links with Venice enabled Serbia and Bosnia
to be included in the European trading model, legal system
and trading practices. Apart from the basics important for
the economy, the Venetian cultural model, represented by
Dubrovnik, significantly influenced the appearance of
towns, the development of urban culture and the style of
artistic craftsmanship. In Balkan towns, where there a
strong Byzantine spirit and artistic tradition was still pres-
ent, a western, Latin spirit came to life, at least in part. The
mutual permeation was evident in the material culture,
which in the later Middle Ages became more European in
character.

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24 On Dubrovnik ex. pat. communities, their size and significance:
Kova~evi} 1970, 107-119; Popovi} 1970, 143-148; Kova~evi}-Koji}
1978, 39, 41, 48-74, 122, 159-167, 202-242, 266-269.