NOTTINGHAM SPLASHED WARE

Late 11th – early 12th C. “NSP ware is characterised by glaze type, forms, decorations and fabrics” (Nailor, 2006, p123) . Wheel thrown and usually well finished. Our collection is mainly small sherds so fabric and glaze are main diagnostics. ‘Splashed’ glaze using a powder applied to body before firing, coverage varies from a few spots to coverage from neck to lower body; usually olive green, darker on reduced iron-rich fabrics, bleeding to yellow or orange/brown at edges. Iron spots evident in the glaze in our samples. Probably fired inverted as glaze thicker at neck.

Forms are mainly jugs; spouted pitchers are noted, also bowls and jars, and rarely -lamps, bottles and curfews. We have some jug handles in our collection. Neater turned out and everted rims are probably earlier, later are more thickened and rounded rims. Decoration on earlier pieces- combing: wavy lines or horizontal bands alternating with wavy lines. Our smaples show orange/red/pinkish oxidised surfaces, grey reduced cores. Sparse inclusions, include medium quartz and sandstone.

NOTTINGHAM EARLY GREEN GLAZED WARE (NOTGE) also identitifed in our type series with an extensive splashed glaze and horizontal combed bands. This ware is probably an early 13th C transition between the more sparsely glazed splasehed wares and the supsension wares that are very common amongh our finds (see e.g. NOTGL). See photos below. The photos are in a gallery so that by clicking on one you can scroll trhough the gallery.