North Devon Pottery and Its Export to America in the 17th Century Part 5

From the standpoint of identifying and dating the archeologically recovered sgraffito ware, these jugs are important in showing certain traits similar to those found in the sherds, while displaying other characteristics that are distinctly different. They support the archeological evidence that the Jamestown pieces are earlier than the jugs and that new design concepts were appearing by the turn of the century in a novel type of presentation piece.

NORTH DEVON PLAIN SLIP-COATED WARE

This is a plain variant of the sgraffito ware, differing only in the absence of decoration and in some of the forms.

Site: Jamestown.

FORMS

Plates: Diameter 7"-11-1/2". Profiles as in sgraffito plates. Upper surface slipped and glazed.

Eating bowls: Diameter 9"; height 3-1/2". Profile and handle same as in sgraffito bowls. Slipped and glazed on interior and over rim.

Porringers: Diameter 5-1/2"; height 2-3/4". Ogee profiles. Horizontal loop handle applied 3/4" below rim on each. Slipped and glazed on interiors.

(Fig. 22.)

Drinking bowls: Diameter of rim, including handle, 5"; height 2-3/4"-3"; diameter of base 2". In shape of mazer bowl, these have narrow bases and straight sides terminating in raised tooled bands at the junctions with vertical or slightly inverted rims 1" in height. Each has a horizontal looped handle attached at bottom of rim. Slipped and glazed on interiors.

(Fig. 22.)

Wavy-edge pans: Diameter 9"-10"; height 2". Flat round pans with vertical rims distorted in wide scallops or waves. Purpose not known. Slipped and glazed on interiors.

NORTH DEVON GRAVEL-TEMPERED WARE

Sites: Jamestown, Kecoughtan, Green Spring, Williamsburg, Marlborough, John Was.h.i.+ngton House, Kent Island, Angelica Knoll, Townsend, John Bowne House, "R. M.," Winslow, John Howland House.

PASTE

Manufacture: Wheel-turned, except ovens and rectangular pans, which are "draped" over molds. (See "Forms," below.)

Temper: Very coa.r.s.e water-worn quartz and feldsparthic gravel up to one-half inch in length; also occasional sherds. Proportion of temper 15-25 percent, except in ovens, which were about 30 percent.

Texture: Poorly kneaded, bubbly, and porous, with temper poorly mixed.

Temper particles easily rubbed out of matrix. Very irregular and angular cleavage because of coa.r.s.e temper. Hard and resistant to blows, but crumbles at fracture when broken.

Color: Dull pinkish red to deep orange-red. Almost invariably gray at core, except in ovens.

Firing: Carelessly fired, with incomplete oxidation of paste.

SURFACE

Treatment: Glazed with powdered galena on interiors of containers, never externally. Glaze very carelessly applied, with much evidence of dripping, running, and unintentional spilling.

Texture: Very coa.r.s.e and irregular, with gravel temper protruding.

Color: Unglazed surfaces range from bright terra cotta to reddish buff.

Glazed surfaces on well-fired pieces are transparent yellow-green with frequent orange splotches. Overtired pieces become dark olive-amber, sometimes approaching black. Rare specimens have slipped interiors subsequently glazed, with similar b.u.t.ter-yellow color effect as in sgraffito and plain slip-coated types.

FORMS

All forms are not completely indicated, there being many rims not represented by complete or reconstructed pieces. The following are established forms.

Round, flat-bottomed pans: Diameter 16", height 4"; diameter 16", height 5"; diameter 18", height 4"; diameter 15", height 4-1/2"; diameter 13-1/4", height 4-3/8". Heavy rounded rims. Glazed internally below rims.

These were probably milk pans, but may also have served for cooking and was.h.i.+ng. Those lined with slip may have functioned as wash basins. (Figs.

18, 23.)

Round, flat-bottomed pans: Diameter approximately 19", height unknown. (No complete specimen.) Heavy rims, reinforced with applied strips of clay beneath external projection of rim. Reinforcement strips are secured with thumb impressions or square impressions made by end of flat tool. (Figs.

28, 29.)

Cooking pots: Diameter 12", height 6"; diameter 8", height 5". Curving sides, terminating at tooled concave band with flattened, slightly curving rim above. Glazed inside.

Bowls: Diameter 8", height 5". Sides curved, with flattened-curve rims, tooled bands below rims. Glazed internally. (Fig. 19.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 28.--Exteriors (left) and interiors of gravel-tempered sherds. Top to bottom: bowl; pan; heavy pan with reinforced rim; and pan with 18th-century-type rim. Colonial National Historical Park. (_From Smithsonian photos 43039-A, 43041-A._)]

Cooking pots: Diameter (including handles) 9-1/2", height 6". Profile a segmented curve, with rim the same diameter as base. Exterior f.l.a.n.g.e to receive cover. Small horizontal loop handles. Band of three incised lines around waist. (Fig. 18.)

Cooking pot covers: Diameters 7", 10", 10-1/2", 11". Flat covers, with downward-turned rims. Off-center loop handles, probably designed to facilitate examination of contents of pot by permitting one to lift up one edge of cover. Covers are sometimes numbered with incised numerals.

Unglazed. (Fig. 18.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 29.--Exteriors (left) and interiors of gravel-tempered sherds. Pan (top) with 18th-century-type rim, and handle of heavy pan with reinforced rim. Colonial National Historical Park.

(_From Smithsonian photos 43039-C, 43039-D._)]

Pipkins: Diameter 7", height 3"; diameter 8-1/2", height 3-1/2"; diameter 8-1/4", height 4"; diameter 8", height 5". Curving sides, terminating at tooled concave band with flattened, slightly curved rim above. Three stubby legs. Stub handle crudely shaped and casually applied at an upward angle. Glazed inside. Used as a saucepan to stand in the coals. (Fig. 19.)

Rectangular basting or baking pans: Length 15", width 11-3/4" (dimensions of single restored specimen at Jamestown; many fragments in addition at Jamestown and Plymouth). Drape-molded. Reinforced scalloped rim. Heavy horizontal loop handles are sometimes on sides, sometimes on ends. Glazed inside. (Fig. 21.)

Storage jars: Various sizes. The one wholly restored specimen (Lewes, Delaware) has a rim diameter of 8" and a height of 12-1/2". Rims of largest examples (diameters 7", 10", 12") have reinforcement strips applied below external projection. Heavy vertical loop handles, with tops attached to rims. Most have interior f.l.a.n.g.es to receive covers. Glazed inside. Such jars were essential for preserving and pickling foods and for brewing beer. (Fig. 25.)

Plate warmer or chafing dish: Unique specimen. Diameter (including handle) 11", height 7". Heavy, flaring pedestal foot supports wide bowl, glazed inside. Flat rim with slight elevation on outer edge. Protruding vertically from rim are three lugs or supports for holding plates.

Vertical loop handles extend from rim to lower sides of bowl. "Spirits of wine" were probably burned in the bowl to heat the plate above. (Fig. 20.) Fragmentary pedestals, similar in profile to the one here (but smaller, having step turnings around base) may have been parts of smaller chafing dishes. (Fig. 31.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIGURE 30.--Exteriors (left) and interiors of gravel-tempered sherds. Top to bottom: rim of small bowl; rim of small jar with internal f.l.a.n.g.e to receive cover; and pipkin handle. Colonial National Historical Park. (_From Smithsonian photos 43039-C, 43039-D._)]

Ovens: (1) One wholly reconstructed oven at Jamestown. Made in sections on drape molds: base, two sides, two halves of top, opening frame, and door.

Side and top sections are joined with seams, reinforced by finger impressions, meeting at top of trapezoidal opening. The opening was molded separately and joined with thumb-impressed reinforcements. A flat door with heavy vertical handle, round in section, fits snugly into opening.

Thickness varies from 3/4" to 1-1/2". Unglazed, although smears of glaze dripped during the firing indicate that the oven was fired with glazed utensils stacked above it. (Fig. 10.)