Posted by Susan Walter on January 6, 2015, 2:37 pm
Hi Transferware experts,
There is a bit of confusion swirling around regarding an artifact, that I believe is a spacer set inside a hollowware vessel to separate, say butter from ice. Would you be able to confirm or deny this by looking at the photo included?
Details below, as provided by the archaeologist who found these items in her museum assemblage:
"...a ceramic artifact type in the collection of a California historic house museum, and I can't figure out what they are. > > The objects are circular white earthenware discs, glazed and undecorated, between 6" and 8" in diameter, with what appears to be a footring, and with a single approximately 1/2" hole in the center of each. The hole was cut before glazing. > > A picture can be viewed here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13574856/Ceramic_Artifact.jpg (this photo is of two of the objects stacked on top of one another)."
These items in the photo are undecorated, but I've seen em used inside all manner of decorated objects, for temporary storage / serving of butter, ice creams...
One archaeologist is wanting to know what the function of the hole is (I'd assume it was drainage, so your lovely sherbert isn't sitting in a swill of melted glop...).
Anyway, what is the name and function of these disks?
Happy new year and many thanks, S. Walter
Re: vessel form question
Posted by David on January 6, 2015, 11:14 pm, in reply to "vessel form question"
Sorry, Susan, but neither the first link nor your hand-copied one works. We just get an error message on the first, and I am not able to click on the 2nd.