Thursday 31 March 2016

week 22. Samian Ware

Found in Norfolk,these sherds of Samian Ware pots possibly date from 1st or 2nd century AD. Samian Ware was made in Gaul (France) in huge quantities and imported into Roman Britain. It is usually decorated in relief with figures and animals - like the Roman soldier and the lion, horse and rabbit (?) we see here. I used watercolour, wax resist, conté and pencil.
It reminded me of the Easter egg I ate on Sunday. I wish the chocolate had been as thick as these pieces of pottery!



Thursday 24 March 2016

Week 21, Medieval copper alloy bowl

“Medieval copper alloy bowl; beaten from sheet metal with everted rim and circular centre piece riveted into place at centre base of bowl; incised linear decoration on interior sides of bowl, perhaps of birds.”
I built up the colours with watercolour and added texture and details with pencil. I missed the 'birds' though!

Saturday 12 March 2016

Week 20, Medieval Pilgrim Badges


Lead pilgrim badges were made in large quantities from about 1350 to
1450 AD. They were brought by pilgrims as souvenirs of the different
shrines they had visited and would be worn on hats and clothing. They
were very fragile and, although many were made, few have survived.
The Lynn Museum’s collection is one of the finest in the country. It was
started in the late 19th century by Thomas Pung, a King’s Lynn jeweller,
who paid children to search for them in the mud of the Purfleet. The
badges were dropped into the water by pilgrims using the ferry over the
Great Ouse on their way to and from Walsingham. Pilgrim badges were
the medieval equivalent of modern souvenir felt badges sewn on the
back of rucksacks.
The lion and the swan have lost their heads and the chap has lost a few extremities too!.



Saturday 5 March 2016

Week 19, Lead cloth seals

I'd never heard of cloth seals before but I was presented with a box full, mostly made of lead, these tiny seals were used in Europe between 13th and 19th century to seal and identify sacks of goods and for quality control (wool, cloth etc). They would display the initials of the manufacturer, coat of arms of the city, date and other information. They are very small - similar size to a 5p piece.