Medieval Piss Pot
Details
This is a replica of a late Medieval piss pot found at Linlithgow Royal Palace, which is now part of the Historic Scotland collection. As settlements became more extensive and organised, there became a greater need for hygienic sanitation to avoid illness and disease. This resulted in the advent of the Garderode for the royals and nobles, the piss pots for senior courtiers and communal toilets for low-ranking courtiers and servants. The very poor continued to use the bushes.
Even with these facilities, it was still typical for courtiers in large houses to relieve themselves in the corners of rooms, corridors or fireplaces. In 1573, Thomas Tusser wrote in his 'Five hundreth Goode Pointes of Husbandrie:
Some make the chimnie chamber pot to smell like Filthie stink,
Yet who so bold, so soone to say,
fough, how These houses stink? (Hibbert 1987, p. 201).
These pots served a further purpose due to the use of human urine in the tanning of animal skins and dying of fabrics. Families would all pee in a pot, and then once a day, it was taken to be sold to the tannery; some believe this to be the origin of the phrase 'Taking the Piss'.
Materials
Grogged earthenware and green glaze
Dimensions
Approx 245 mm tall, 145 diameter
Health and Safety
As with all of our museum-quality replicas, this piece has been fired to achieve an authentic finish. Like the original, it is not fully glazed; as a result, this pot does not meet modern health and safety standards, and although decorative, I would not recommend that this pot be used for its original purpose.
Production
This replica Roman pot has been hand-made in Northumberland by Potted History, based on an original artefact. It has been fired to a temperature between 800 & 1000 Centigrade to emulate the same techniques the original potters would have employed nearly two thousand years ago. This process often results in surface colour and texture variations, as is common with the original Roman pottery and gives each piece its unique character.
Postage
All items are sent using a second-class postal service; if you wish to have an item sent first-class, please get in touch with us for a quote. Many Thanks
SHIPPING
'Add To Cart' items are ready to send straight away. Please be aware that if bought alongside 'Pre-order' items, your order will be sent when all items are ready.
'Pre-order' items are made to order, and we will dispatch them as soon as we have handcrafted them for you; this usually takes 90 days, but international orders can take a little longer.
We ship our fabulous replicas worldwide.
Shipping costs are worked out during checkout. They are based on where you are in the world and how heavy your parcel is, which can be very variable.
All items are sent using a second-class postal service. If you wish to have an item sent first class, please contact us for a quote. Many Thanks
RETURNS
If you aren't completely satisfied with your Potted History piece, please get in touch to organise a return. Email us at
clare@rothburycreates.co.uk
Then you can send it back at your own cost in an unused condition within 30 days, and we'll refund you for the cost of the item or items returned. If you include your order number with the returned package, that will speed things up. Please leave any original packaging intact.
Our returns address is:
Potted History, Gregory Court, Rothbury, Northumberland, NE65 7SW
PRODUCT VARIATION
Please be aware that due to items being handmade and finished, colour variations will occur during the making process, and each replica will have some differences. Also, know that the item photographed may not be the one that you receive, and colours can appear differently on different screens. Please ensure you look at all the images to get a fully formed idea of the item you are ordering as we try to capture the variations within the images we share. If you prefer a specific colour variation, please contact us before ordering.
