Page 73 - buvkeramika

73
edifices unusual, complicated and individualised profiles were used. Hence the conclusion has been
made that for more important edifices the shapes of specially shaped bricks could be drawn either by the
architect of the building or by the building manager who ordered specially shaped bricks from a definite
brick-kiln. Whereas in less luxurious buildings multi-functional specially shaped bricks were used, which
were made and offered in large numbers by the closest brick-kiln (Frycz 1987, 86).
Particular diversity of architectural forms is characteristic of churches, but in the Late Middle Ages
also the town councils of prosperous towns could build luxurious town halls or other public buildings
with a specially formed plastic decoration that was made of specially shaped bricks. Specially shaped
bricks in castle architecture were used comparatively little. Only in the most outstanding castles of the
Teutonic Order, in Prussia, a considerably large diversity of specially shaped bricks is encountered, and
even ceramic or terracotta building plastics (Torbus 1998, 321ff). In Prussia, in medieval brick architecture
specially shaped bricks are encountered in total in 88% of buildings of which only one-third has been
richly decorated with specially shaped bricks, in one-fifth specially shaped bricks of only a single shape
are used, but others have only two or three different profiles for a portal, cornice or corbels (Herrmann
2007, 113).
The shapes of specially shaped bricks applied in Latvian medieval castles have not been summarised
and studied until now. It seems that in our castles building ceramic decorations have been applied rather
little. However, much richer profiles decorate the large medieval churches, for example, in the investigation
of Riga St. Peter’s Church specially shaped bricks of 26 types have been registered (Ārends 1944, 21, 25.
Zirnis 1984, 45–47. Zirnis 1994, 22, 23).
In the collection of Turaida Museum Reserve there are a rather small number of specially shaped
bricks that have been found in the area of castle ruins (Fig. 8). As can be realised from reports of
archaeological investigations, a few of the gathered specially shaped bricks have been found as separate
pieces in the cultural layers with debris from torn-down buildings. In the book by G. Jansons an image of
a semicircular brick has been published which is deemed to be a part of a round pillar, and another one
with a figuratively formed ending, which once had been laid in vault ribs (Jansons 2007, 127, 142). The
shape of some other specially shaped bricks found in Turaida Castle and their possible way of application
is indicated in the catalogue.
Bricks with footprints / paw prints
On the surface or edges of particular medieval bricks impressions of animal feet, claws or paws are seen –
bricks with footprints / paw prints. Formerly, part of researchers considered animal paw prints as special
impressions used by the master to denote the production of the brick-kiln, or a special set of production.
Probably this opinion originated following the analogy with maker’s marks chiselled in medieval stone
building parts, which were used for marking pieces of carved stone (Kill, Haegel 1980). In Riga medieval
bricks with animal footprints / paw prints were noticed already in the 19th century, and architect Wilhelm
Neumann considered them to be deliberately impressed marks by masters – trademarks of brick-kilns
(Neumann 1912, 6). Some other researchers assume that bricks with impressions of a child’s hand or foot,
or an animal’s paw print or footprint, can be related to some magical belief, since bricks and roof tiles
Ieva Ose. Building ceramics of Turaida Castle in the 13th–17th centuries