VESSEL

Two fragments / pottery sherds from the base of a highly decorated, wheel thrown, shallow bowl or dish probably dating from the late medieval or early post medieval period (1500 -1650 AD). These two sherds fit together along a relatively recent break. The fabric of the pottery is relatively hard with a number of rounded and sub-angular quartz, grit, and mica inclusions. The fabric colour is a mid grey, the outer surface is a mid orange brown and the inner surface is a mottled darker grey. This multi-tone effect has been caused by low temperatures within the kiln and is typical of early pottery. Both the sherds are glazed with an intricate (conjoined) design. The total design is unknown but seems to be made up of a series of leaves and flowers, enclosed by series of zig-zag slip lines. The entire dish has been glazed with a mid white slip onto which the floral design has been impressed and filled with a light brown / green coloured glaze. Between these designs a series of free hand designs have been added in a similar green / brown slip. It is likely that these are fragments from an early stile of slipware dish popular in the late Tudor and Stuart periods. Due to the smallness of the body sherd the circumference of the dish cannot be estimated. The base of the dish would have been approximately 17cm in diameter. When the two sherds are joined they measure 102.5mm length, 109.3mm width, 11.3m thick and weigh 101.67 grams.