Chafing Dish, Saintonge, France, c.1501-1600
This is a kind of medieval barbeque called a chafing dish. It held burning charcoal and could be used for heating food in the kitchen or dining room.
This is a pottery chafing dish made in Saintonge in south west France. In later years chafing dishes were made from silver and copper. This one was found in Hull. Lots of Saintonge pottery was imported into Britain and northern Europe.
This is 16th century chafing dish made from Saintonge ware pottery. It was excavated on Grimsby Lane, Hull.
During the Middle Ages many areas of France exported pottery to Britain. Some of this pottery came from the Saintonge area of south-west France.
Pottery from Saintonge was made from a fine clay. The clay also had a low iron content which meant that it produced pots with a cream colour. The trade in pottery from the Saintonge area to Britain began in the 13th century (1200s) and lasted for 500 years. At the start of this period the English ruled neighbouring Gascony.
Saintonge ware has a hard, smooth, cream coloured fabric with a bright green speckled glaze on the exterior.
