Tiberius Iulius Rufus Primus

Saxon “Hand Mug” (Pot/Mug)

The Mug

This mug, or Saxon Biconical Jar, is made of buff earthenware with a high grog (sand) content.
This jar has been wheelthrown, according to the Museum of London. It has two zones of
stamped decoration separated by cordon on its upper body. The base is flat and roughly cut off.
This jar was imported from the Frankish areas of what is now northern France and Belgium. The
Franks were a tribe that ruled over much of France and western Germany. The Museum of
London notes that at the time this pot was made, the ruling Frankish dynasty was the
Merovingians (named after King Merovig, who ruled from about 447-458).

Handmade pottery was for use in the home, but was also buried with the dead. My
reconstruction was not exact. Though the form is almost accurate, the lip is too narrow and the
angle of the top cone, or upper half of the vessel is not quite right. The appearance of my
finished piece is wider than the original, as I miscalculated in the amount of shrinkage (14%)
when firing clay with a high grog content. I did not copy the decoration exactly, but used the
extant piece as a point of inspiration.

I fired the clay in an electric kiln to cone 06 (1828 degrees). I used a modern iron-based glaze
to make the pottery safe for modern consumptive use. The original seems to be unglazed and
burnished stone/earthenware. The use of modern glaze is for simple hygienic purposes. The
use of a wash of iron-based glaze was to seal the clay and allow modern cleanliness, without
appearing too bright. The unglazed base, however, is more pronounced than I would prefer.
 Works Cited

“Saxon Biconical Jar.” Museum of London. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2015.
 Works Cited

“Saxon Biconical Jar.” Museum of London. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Mar. 2015.