D286. POSSET POT 
London or perhaps Bristol 
1700-1715 
 
 
H.: 8 1/8" (20.6 cm); 
Diam. (body): 7 1/8" (18.1 cm); 
Diam. (with spout): 7 5/8" (19.4 cm); 
Diam. (with handles): 9 1/8" (23.2 cm) 
 
 
BODY CLAY: Fine-grained buff. 
TIN GLAZE: White, possibly under a 
kwoort, or coating of lead glaze. Over- 
all, excluding lid socket edge, footrim, 
 
 
and wide patch immediately within 
 
 
footrim. 
SHAPE: Thrown, Scrolled handles, 
flattened on interiors of rolls and 
 
 
f 
 
 
convex on exteriors. Spout of circular 
 
 
section. Bottom, slightly concave near 
 
 
center, recessed to form narrow 
footrim. Marks from two of originally 
 
 
three pegs under lid flange. 
DECORATION: Painted and sponged. 
 
 
Landscape with European men, one 
playing a lute, and a masked or black- 
faced, headdressed figure holding a 
 
 
bow and arrow and riding an elephant. 
Borders composed of horizontal lines 
and, on knop, radiating lines. Slashes 
ornament spout and handles; latter also 
 
 
bear dot borders. 
 
 
Ex coil.: E. Pitts Curtis. 
 
 
N o close parallels for the cheerfully patterned elephant and exotic rider

seen on this pot are known. Other polychrome pieces are possibly related
based 
on sponged trees and the unusual patterning of figural motifs: a jar depicts
a 
lady who wears an asterisk-patterned gown and walks a child by lead strings;
a 
flower bowl shows a polka-dotted, leaping animal in a landscape with a fort.'

Wavy-trunked, sponged trees and more or less formally painted standing figures

(derived from types on Dutch tin glaze) of the same general type as those
near 
the spout of the posset pot are not uncommon.' Differences in elegance of

design to some extent reflect varied skill levels on the parts of contemporary

decorators. 
 
 
1. For the jar, see Archer and Morgan, China 
Dishes, no. 39; (side two) Sotheby's (L), Morgan 
sale (2), March 25, 1980, lot 31. For the flower 
container, Britton, Bristol, no. 7.23. 
2. Archer, V&A, no. G.8; Crellin, Wellcome, 
no. 380; and for 1704 dated plates, Lipski and 
Archer, Dated Delftware, nos. 239-240. For more 
formally painted examples, see Ray, Warren, 
pl. 19, no. 56; Archer, V&A, nos. B.196, F.4; 
Austin, Delft, no. 21; Lipski and Archer, Dated 
Delftware, no. 248 (1707 dish), 943 (1702 posset 
pot), 1047 (1708 bowl).