… I ever loved thee, lady mine, and yet my love increases: Rhodian Portrait Ceramics and Cultural Dialogue in the Mediterranean

Fifteenth-century Rhodian portrait ceramics, featuring profile busts of men and women, reveal a unique cultural dialogue in the medieval city of Rhodes. These vessels, excavated near the Orthodox Church of St. Spyridon, incorporated Italian design elements and concepts of love pots, suggesting they were exchanged as ritual gifts among spouses or lovers. The study highlights how these ceramics served a cosmopolitan society under the Hospitaller Knights, reflecting both power dynamics and romantic characterizations akin to Italian portraiture. By analyzing patronage, production, and function within Rhodes' specific context, the research demonstrates the city's role as an artistic and commercial crossroads, where pottery played a pivotal role in cultural exchange.

Stancioiu, C. (2010). … I ever loved thee, lady mine, and yet my love increases: Rhodian Portrait Ceramics and Cultural Dialogue in the Mediterranean. Al-Masāq, 22(2), 129–150. https://doi.org/10.1080/09503110.2010.488888