Posset Pot, 1675-1700
Bristol or London, England
Tin-glazed earthenware
Lent by the Chipstone Foundation 1959.16

Posset Pot, 1680-1700
Bristol, Brislington, or London, England
Tin-glazed earthenware
Lent by the Chipstone Foundation 1983.7

Chinoiserie decoration was especially popular on large ceramics, including communal drinking vessels. These ornate posset pots would have been passed from one person to the next. The straw-like spout was used to sip the posset - a warm mixture of wine, milk, and spices - which sat on the bottom of the pot while the curdled milk rose to the top. Exhibiting rare examples of hand-sculpted Chinoiserie, these wildly impractical handles feature slithering newts and small birds perched unexpectedly on the lids. Adding to the delightfully "antick" character of posset pots was the unusual form, which was based on an Islamic design that dated back more than 500 years.