…And broughte of myghty ale a large quart.
Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales, ca.1387
English medieval pottery production focused on simple cooking pots and pitchers
for the dispensing of ale and wine. Decoration was usually limited to green
glaze and pinched feet—literally formed between the potter’s fingertips.
When something more elaborate was attempted, the inspiration invariably came
from France. The pitcher on the left dates from around 1400 and was probably
made by a French potter working near London.
1.
Pitcher, lead-glazed earthenware. London, ca. 1350–1450. Lent by the Chipstone
Foundation, 2000.27.
2.
Pitcher, lead-glazed earthenware, thirteenth to fourteenth century.
3.
Pitcher, lead-glazed earthenware. Probably Cheam, Surrey, fifteenth century.
