Description:
English delft posset pot with a domed cover, decorated in blue, green, orange, and red. Posset was a drink popular in the 17th century, although known back to the 15th century, made with milk or cream, eggs, spices, and either wine/sack or ale. As the warmed milk curdled and the curd rose, the whey containing the alcohol could be sipped or poured from the spout or pipe that projects from the base of the pot. Posset could act as a soothing nightcap or be served at a party, depending on the strength of the particular mixture produced. Although possets were not included in pharmacopiae, medicated possets mixed with a variety of herbs, such as sage, were widely used at home as evidenced in family receipt books and medical texts for a range of illnesses from malaria to small pox. The domed cover has a blue mushroom knop over orange and blue floral sprays with a daisy-like flower and green rhomboid or diamond-shaped leaves, blue trefoils with scrolls, and blue dotted circles - a Bristol motif; the rim has a blue dash pattern banded in blue. The bulbous body has an incurving neck decorated with a band of blue scrolls and cornucopiae with red highlights over three groups of the same red, blue, and green floral sprays, dotted circles, and trefoils. Both the scrolled handles ending in coiled terminals and the S-shaped tubular spout are decorated with blue dashes. This color combination, long associated with Bristol decorators, also occurs in London-manufactured delftware. The decorative patterns on HIstoric Deerfield's pot, especially the rhomboidal brush strokes that imply foliage, is typical of examples made from around 1705 to 1720. Posset pots of this general shape were made in London and Bristol. Slightly earlier than the pot shown here are examples listed in the 1699 death inventory of John Robins, manager of the Pickleherring Potteries. Posset pots "In the two Pott Houses in Vine-yard and Stoney Lane Southwarke" sometimes are identified by size and decorative state. Among "White and Painted Perfect Ware," or delftware ready for sale, are "midle white possett potts," "midle painted possett potts," "small painted possett potts," and "small white possett potts." The factory also sold seconds as indicated by entries for "faulty pint possett potts" and "faulty [small]" posset pots.
Tags:
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