Deritend ware facts for kids
Imagine a time long ago in Birmingham, England. People needed pots and jugs for cooking and storing things. That's where Deritend ware comes in! It's a special type of pottery made in Birmingham during the 12th and 13th centuries, which was the medieval period.
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Deritend Ware: Pottery from Old Birmingham
What is Deritend Ware?
Deritend ware isn't just one type of pot. There are three main kinds, each with its own look and use. All of them have tiny shiny bits called mica, which makes them sparkle a little.
- Glazed Deritend ware: This pottery is usually orange to red. It often has a shiny glaze. Potters mostly used it for jugs, but also for bowls and special water containers called aquamaniles. This type was made from the 13th to early 14th centuries.
- Reduced Deritend ware: This pottery is usually black or grey. It often has a brown center. It was mostly used for cooking pots and large, unglazed jugs. This type was made from the late 12th century to the early 14th century.
- Deritend cooking pot ware: This pottery is sandy brown with a grey center. As the name suggests, it was used for cooking pots. It was made from the late 12th century to the 13th century.
Potters decorated the glazed jugs with white lines and strips of clay. Sometimes these strips had cool patterns pressed into them. Some of the fancy designs were similar to pottery made in northern France. It's possible that potters from the London area moved to Birmingham in the 13th century and brought their skills with them.
Where Was It Made?
Deritend ware was made in specific areas of Birmingham. These include Digbeth, Deritend, and the Bull Ring. The pottery kilns, which are like big ovens for firing clay, were probably in people's backyards.
The orange clay used for the pots came from the local ground. It's called Mercia Mudstone. However, the white clay used for decorations had to be brought from places further away.
How Do We Know About It?
We first learned about Deritend ware in 1953. Workers were making High Street, Deritend, wider. They found broken pieces of pottery that had been misfired. These "wasters" showed that pottery was definitely made right there.
Since then, more evidence has been found. Digs at places like The Old Crown Inn, the Custard Factory, and under the Selfridges store in the Bull Ring have uncovered more misfired pottery. This proves that all three types of Deritend ware were made in Birmingham.
Where Can You Find It?
Deritend ware wasn't just used in Birmingham. It traveled far and wide! You can find pieces of this pottery all over the West Midlands region. This includes places like Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire, and Warwickshire.
