Photograph: Black shiny leather jug with a lid attached to the handle with a metal hinge. On the base and the right-hand side of the jug the leather is sewn together with a double row of stitching.
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Jug

Date: 1500s

The 'leather bottel' or 'bombard' as it was sometimes known, was one of the most useful objects in the medieval household. Its qualities as a robust, waterproof container for water and alcoholic beverages were widely praised in contemporary drinking songs, and the name 'leather bottel' was a popular choice for many proprietors of London's alehouses, taverns and inns. Drinks were offered to customers in small, tankard-shaped leather vessels or 'black jacks'.

Accession number: 4566

Place of collection: Bedford Street, Strand, London [City of Westminster]

Material: leather

Measurements:

Gallery location: Case 17.10

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Subjects:

Eating & Drinking

Objects:
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