Description:
Similar fragments to the rim of this dish were excavated at the Shepard site in Kittery, Maine (1670-1770). Shards of Portuguese tin-glazed earthenwares were also found in South Berwick, Pemaquid, Arrowsic, Fort Pentagoet, Maine, and Boston, Salem, Charlestown, Saugus, Plymouth, Cambridge Massachusetts. Its presence marked a period of intensified Anglo-Portuguese trade in which New England merchants played an important role. Insular and mainland Portugal imported New England codfish and wood products in exchange for exported wine, fruit, salt, oil, and tin-glazed earthenware. No examples of Portuguese tin-glazed earthenwares have been found archaeologically in the Connecticut River Valley, but there is evidence from probate inventory records. The estate inventory of the Rev. Joseph Haynes of Hartford (pastor of the First Church of Hartford, son of the Governor of Connecticut) owned, “One cupboard wt some earthenware in it, one Glass Case wt some Glasses & Lisburne Ware” in 1679. (“Lisburne ware” being synonymous with Portuguese tin-glazed earthenware.) Tin-glazed earthenware scholar Dr. Tania Casimiro confirmed the Lisbon origin of the piece and added that they call the border design "bead decoration." The decoration starts to be recorded around 1660 (a few sherds were found on board the Sacramento wreck (1668) in the Bay of All Saints in Brazil). The last dated object that she knew of with this decoration was 1766, but similar pieces with this border are frequently recovered in early 19th-century contexts. These were still made in Lisbon workshops at least until 1840. Large tin-glazed earthenware circular dish with wide sloping rim, decorated in purple and blue colors on a white glaze with a three dot or flower border (sometimes called a bead border), in the center is a large stylized bird with long legs (perhaps a stork) in a leafy, watery landscape, evidence of stilt marks from firing on the upper surface, the back of the dish is covered in white tin glaze, it has very pitted, rough surface and bubbled glaze and some glaze losses or glaze creep, turned footrim, white sticker on back reads "181784/9". Concentric marks on the back of dish were the interior portion was turned, dish edge shows evidence of hand throwing. Condition: Some glaze losses along the edge,the dish has been broken in several pieces and restored.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2021.14 |
