Accession No

Z 16574


Description

A beer jug of Cullen (Gres de Flandre) ware. The " body" of the jug is a hard, siliceous clay, covered with a lead glaze The side to which the handle was attached is plain. Covered with a graceful design in relief representing 3 female figures in the dress of the period, standing in as many niches. I. Judith holding a sword and the head of Holophernes; with a scroll over her head inscribed IVDIT 1569. II. Queen Esther standing with folded hands Ester Hat Fictoria i.e. " Esther has the victory" . III. Lucretia holding a dagger " to her breast; LVCRECIA Ao, 1569; IVDIT 1569; LVCRECIA Ao, 1569.
'Neck and handle broken off and missing. J. Somerville 18/9/2001.'


Place

Europe; British Isles; England; Cambridgeshire; Cambridge; Downing Street


Period

Post Medieval


Source

Browne, G. F. (Rev., Prof.)


Department

Arch


Reference Numbers

Z 16574; MAA: AR 1891.29


Cultural Affliation


Material

Ceramic; Pottery; Cullen Ware; Stoneware


Local Term


Measurements


Events

Context (CMS Context)
The catalogue card has the following entry: " See back of Z 16574 for further description" and " See inside jug for comments by Prof.J.H. Middleton Curator of Fitzwilliam and later V. and A. Mus." and " Found recently (i.e.1891) in Downing Street" Attached to rear of catalogue card: " C.A.S. Meeting 19 V 1890 Professor J.H.Middleton gave the following description of a 16th century jug, exhibited by the Rev. Prof. G.F. Browne: Beer jug of what is called in Elizabethan inventories " Cullen (Cologne) ware" , and in French, " Gres de Flandre." It was very highly valued in England during the latter half of the 16th century and jugs such as this were often mounted with costly, elaborately worked silver lids and handles. The South Kensington Museum possesses some fine examples." " .covered with a lead glaze, the peculiar mottling of which was much admired. It was made in this way, first the jug was " thrown" on the potter' s wheel and then thin slabs of the same clay were pressed into moulds and then fixed by some fluid " slip" onto the surface of the jug. The whole was then fired in the kiln, and then fired a second time after being dipped in the glaze. The designs consist of three female figures in the costume of the potter' s owntime. Professor Browne tells me that this very interesting piece of dated Cullen ware was dug up very recently in Downing Street. In many cases the reliefs on this kind of pottery are similar to those used for the stamped vellum book bindings which were so commonly made in Germany and Flanders during the latter half of the 16th century. The three ladies on this jug frequently occur on these beautiful and elaborate bindings. A similar connection between designs on book-bindings and on pottery occurs in the rare (so-called) Henri Deux ware, which is of about the same date as Professor Browne' s jug." Found: Under a house; Date: 16 Century AD; 1569 AD -; Exhibited: Cambridge Antiquarian Society Exhibition 1891; Collected in 1891: Attached to catalogue card: " To the Custodian, Museum of Genl. Archaeology Please receive a broken jug which I am giving to the Antiquarian Society; and an envelope with 4 photographs of the cross to be erected to the memory of Mr.S.S.Lewis, for exhibition at the meeting on Monday wk. Card of description is inside jug. G.F.Browne. Nov 28 ' 91"
Event Date 11/2/1987
Author: maa


Description (CMS Description)
A beer jug of Cullen (Gres de Flandre) ware. The " body" of the jug is a hard, siliceous clay, covered with a lead glaze The side to which the handle was attached is plain. Covered with a graceful design in relief representing 3 female figures in the dress of the period, standing in as many niches. I. Judith holding a sword and the head of Holophernes; with a scroll over her head inscribed IVDIT 1569. II. Queen Esther standing with folded hands Ester Hat Fictoria i.e. " Esther has the victory" . III. Lucretia holding a dagger " to her breast; LVCRECIA Ao, 1569; IVDIT 1569; LVCRECIA Ao, 1569.
'Neck and handle broken off and missing. J. Somerville 18/9/2001.'
Event Date 11/2/1987
Author: maa


FM:13119

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