What a delightful day: Spare time representation on early modern Portuguese ceramics

Tin-glazed ceramics decorated in blue or purple-on-white were made in Portugal using traditional methods at least from 1580 until the late 18th century. During that time, these ceramics bore many different decorative schemes, including people enjoying what appears to be leisure time. People are depicted playing music using different types of instruments, dancing, hunting and eating, while children are even represented playing with their pets or games. These objects have been found in Portugal and were also exported to several parts of Europe. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how this pottery decoration might reflect leisure time in the daily lives of people in Early Modern times and what that can tell us about gender relations, identity and social inequality.