Description:
English delft chamber pot with a molded rim, bulbous base, strap handle, and unglazed flat base; the interior has a strong pink undertone. According to Joanthan Horne, a London dealer, this pot was found in the Thames River in London. English delft chamber pots were a common import from abroad and are often found archaeologically along the eastern seaboard, although they are rare, above-ground survivals. Delft chamberpots have been found from Massachusetts to Virginia; Connecticut River Valley documents record their presence: the "Connecticut Courant" advertisement for William Elllery, April 13, 1773, lists "Delph bowls, large and small, Muggs, Porringers, Chamber Pots, & c. & c." In Ellery's account book, owned by the Connecticut Historical Society Library, he sold delft chamber pots to Joseph Flagg and Capt. Hugh Lidlie in 1776. A similar example was excavated at Rumney's Tavern, Historic Londontown, Maryland, in a c. 1735 context.

Subjects:
Pottery; glaze (coating by location)

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2004.3

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