Description

Fabric: This ware consists of a fine, grayish-white pipe clay fabric, which is laminated on the broken edges. Visible on the interior of vessels are horizontal ribbing and upswept diagonal lines from throwing. Picture

Glaze: A white slip covers the vessel entirely, including the base exterior. Colorless lead glaze overall, except for base exterior, appearing bright yellow with reddish-orange dots and comet-like streaks.

Form: A small vessel mimicking tin-glazed earthenware drug jars. The form includes an outbent rim with squared edge, angular shoulder, constricted body, and angular body above the base with a v-tooled exterior edge.

According to ceramic historian, John Allan, these small undecorated slipware drug jars were made in North Devon using local white ball clays both for the fabric and the slip glaze. Rare on North American sites, only two examples have been found in Virginia, both in contexts dating to the second quarter of the seventeenth century. They likely served the same diverse purposes as tin-glazed earthenware apothecary vessels or "galley pots."

Sources
Allan, J. P. (1984) Medieval and Post-Medieval Finds from Exeter, 1971-1980. Exeter City Council

Sites
Causeys Care (44CC178)
Sandys Site, (44JC802) c. 1625-40

Prepared by Merry Outlaw