A South Somerset dish

This dish was found in a pit in Goldsmith Street in a deposit dating to c. 1660. It illustrates the characteristic sgrafitto-decorated products of the South Somerset potteries, notably those at Donyatt near Ilminster.

The vessel is thrown in red earthenware. Its upper surface was coated with white slip, then decorated by scratching a single spiralling line through the slip, exposing the red clay beneath. After the application of a lead glaze the body appeared orange-red whilst the slip appeared a rich yellow.

Acknowledgments: RAM Museum