MEDIEVAL VESSEL

1250

Miniature lead vessel, probably for use as a toy. This type of jug is one of the most commonly encountered medieval miniatures and they often correspond very closely with full-sized ceramic counterparts. The jug has become quite squashed and broken whilst in the ground and the thin handle has broken off. There is no cast decoration over the surface of the jug. This type of toy became popular from the late 13th or 14th century onwards, mainly in an urban context, and would have been mass produced like the pilgrim souvenirs common during the same period. It is possible that some minature were used in church although a high number of jugs have been excavated in non-religious contexts, particularly around London indicating that many had no religious function or significance. A similar jug can be seen in The Finds Research Group Datasheet 10 by Geoff Egan, Fig 3a.