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DELFTWARE Beverage Wares 
D273, D274. POSSET POTS                                                 
                   Posset Pots and Cups (Double-Handled) 
London, probably Southwark 
(D274) Perhaps Pickleherring 
c. 1655 
(D273) H,: 8" (20.3 cm): 
Diam, (body and lid): 6 1/2" (16.5 cm); 
Diam. (with handles): 9" (22.9 cm) 
(D274) H.: 6 3/8" (16.2 cm); 
Diam. (body and lid): 6" (15.2 cm); 
Diam. (lid to spout): 7" (17.8 cm); 
Diam. (with handles): 8" (20.3 cm) 
BODY CLAY: Medium-grained buff. 
TIN GLAZE: (D273) White, slightly 
transparent with gray speckling. Overall, 
excluding bottom and footrim of body, 
lid's bottom edge, and patch on under- 
side of lid. (D274) White with open 
crazing. Overall, excluding lower edges 
of lid and body. 
SHAPE: Thrown, (D273) with distinct 
throwing rings on interior. (Both) Single 
spout. (D273) Scrolled handles of circular 
section. (D274) Handles flat on interior 
and concave on exterior. (Both) Triangu- 
lar arrangement of peg marks on 
underside of lid edges; bottoms of pots 
recessed to form footrims. 
DECORATION: Relief, pushed out 
from interior. (D273) Body fluted and lid 
has eight vertical rows of three bosses. 
(D274) Body has eight vertical rows of 
four bosses and two bosses under each 
handle. Lid has twelve bosses. 
Published: (D273) Home, Collection, pt. 18, 
no 516. 
(Of these two rare posset pots, the fluted example (D273) is the most 
unusual. Two others with fluting (and bossed lids) are of squat, globular
profile 
and have handles more like those on the second pot shown here (D)274).- That
example, several others of much the same shape, and a few squat, globular
or 
baluster-shaped posset pots all have vertical rows of bosses. A cylindrical
exam- 
ple inscribed "KG/1651" and a bossed mug and fluted candlestick,
both dated 
1653 (see nos. D235, D380), help indicate a period for the group. 
   The bossed posset pot (D274) has close parallels in biscuit lid, knob,
spout, 
and body wasters from the Picldeherring site. Similarly ornamented mugs (see
nos. D235, D236) also are known from the Pickleherring site, and other bossed
delftware has been excavated at consumer sites in London.4 
1. Sotheby's (I), ILipski sale (1), March 10, 1981,  3. Rackham, Glaisher,
vol. 2, p1  85B, no. 1319 
lot 10, noting a coverless "somewhat similar  11651 posset pot) 
posset pot ... sold 30th January 1979. lot 8",  4. Stephenson comments
(September 19981 
February 25, 1986, lot 43.                 Pearce comments (September 19981.
2. Grigsby, Chipstone, no 16, Archer, V&A, 
nos. D.10-D.11; Austin. Delft, no. 11; Crellin, 
Wellcome, nos. 362. 363 (with possibly modern 
1661 date), 364. 
D27, 
298 The Longridge Collection