VESSEL

A fragment of a ceramic vessel of Midlands Yellow Ware (probably), dating from the Medieval – Post Medieval period, between AD 1400 – 1600 (length: 38.5mm; width: 21.5mm; thickness: 17.5mm; weight: 8.9g).

This vessel sherd is ‘T’ shaped in plan and has the form of a face mount, which would have originally protruding outwards from the main body of the vessel. The face is clearly defined with two uneven dark brown eyes and an uneven slanted incised mouth. The hair is also illustrated at the top of the face with fifteen incised linear markings radiating outwards from the main part of the face. The mount is broken at the back and at the neck/ bottom. The fabric of the vessel mount is a hard-fired earthenware with external lead glaze which fired to a yellow colour while in an oxidising atmosphere. The main fabric is off-white in colour.

Midlands Yellow ware can be seen in a variety of vessel forms including butter pots which are cylindrical jars in a variety of sizes with distinctive rim profiles made for transporting butter from farmer to consumer (D. A. Ford, 1999). Midlands Yellow Ware has its origins in the Midland White Wares of the 13th-15th centuries. It is recognised as a distinct ware from the 16th century. Kiln centres in the Midlands include Ticknall, Derbyshire and the Nuneaton area in Warwickshire (which was in decline from the end of the 16th century) (D. A. Ford & D. Barker, 1999).