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Cheam whiteware

(1350 - 1500)

Cheam whiteware is the term used to refer to pottery of the same fabric and forms as vessels made in the various kilns excavated at Cheam, in Surrey. It is quite possible that there were other centres making comparable whitewares that can be distinguished by their fabric from the Coarse Surrey/Hampshire Border wares that were being supplied to London at the same period. None, however, have been discovered. Made in the Surrey whiteware tradition, products of the Cheam industry were first coming into London in the middle of the 14th century. Although it increased in importance over succeeding decades, it was never as popular in the London market as the coarser, border whitewares. By the end of the 15th century, the manufacture of whitewares at the Cheam kilns was being overtaken by the production of red earthenwares, which continued to be made into the post-medieval period after whitewares had ceased production.

Cheam whiteware fabrics are usually varying shades of buff in colour, sometimes with pale grey, reduced margins and/or core. The fabric is hard with a fine texture, similar to Kingston-type ware, but with a slightly finer matrix. It is characterised by abundant iron-stained (rosy or red), grey and milky-coloured quartz inclusions, moderate to sparse red and black iron-rich compound and abundant fine mica flecks. The main source of the white-firing clay appears to have been the Reading Beds. The glaze is in varying shades of green, coloured by the addition of copper, or can appear clear or yellow when no copper is added. Glaze cover is limited on most forms, with a small bib or patch of glaze on the shoulder of jugs the usual pattern; some jugs and other forms have no glaze at all. All forms are wheelthrown.

Related objects

There are 42 related objects.

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17894 jar (cooking pot). Late Medieval; mid 14th-15th century	5725 jug. Late Medieval; mid 14th-mid 15th century	5701 jug. Late Medieval; mid 14th-15th century	26421 jug. Late Medieval; mid 14th-mid 15th century
24966 jug. Late Medieval-Tudor; mid-late 15th century	22117 jug. Late Medieval-Tudor; mid-late 15th century	16755 jug. Late Medieval-Tudor; mid-late 15th century	16637 jug. Late Medieval; mid 14th-mid 15th century
5732 jug. Late Medieval-Tudor; mid-late 15th century	5722 jug. Medieval; mid 12th-15th century	5652 jug. Late Medieval-Tudor; mid-late 15th century	5648 jug. Late Medieval; mid 14th-mid 15th century
5635 jug. Late Medieval-Tudor; mid-late 15th century	78.159/31 jug. Late Medieval; mid 14th-mid 15th century	P325 jug. Late Medieval; mid 14th-mid 15th century	P321 jug. Late Medieval-Tudor; mid-late 15th century
L267/56 pipkin. Late Medieval-Tudor; mid-late 15th century	A24924 jug. Late Medieval; mid 14th-mid 15th century	A16909 jug. Late Medieval-Tudor; mid-late 15th century	A11535 jug. Late Medieval; mid 14th-15th century
A5215 jug. Late Medieval; mid 14th-mid 15th century	A5075 jug. Late Medieval; mid 14th-mid 15th century	A5063 jug. Late Medieval; mid 14th-mid 15th century	A5060 jug. Late Medieval; mid 14th-mid 15th century

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