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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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A5059 jug. Late Medieval; mid 14th-mid 15th century	A5054 jug. Late Medieval-Tudor; mid-late 15th century	A4933 jug. Late Medieval-Tudor; mid-late 15th century	78.159/47 measure. Late Medieval; mid 14th-15th century
A19236 measure. Late Medieval; mid 14th-15th century	17891 jug. Late Medieval; mid 14th-mid 15th century	68.11/3 jug. Late Medieval; mid 14th-mid 15th century	5828 jar. Late Medieval; mid 14th-15th century
24976 jar (cooking pot). Late Medieval; mid 14th-15th century	12123 jar (cooking pot). Late Medieval; mid 14th-15th century	18481 money box. Late Medieval; mid 14th-15th century	17894 jar (cooking pot). Late Medieval; mid 14th-15th century
A5215 jug. Late Medieval; mid 14th-mid 15th century	17894 jar (cooking pot). Late Medieval; mid 14th-15th century	A5054 jug. Late Medieval-Tudor; mid-late 15th century	17894 jar (cooking pot). Late Medieval; mid 14th-15th century
5627 jug. Late Medieval-Tudor; mid-late 15th century	23756 jug. Late Medieval; mid 14th-mid 15th century

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