Godmanchester BB2 Jar, Child's Cooking Pot

Details

This delightful little cooking jar stands at a dinky 10 cm tall, and we based the size and shape of it on a 2nd-century original that is believed to have been made in Essex. 

But why on earth is it so small? The original of this jar was found in amongst the grave goods of a child that was buried at Godmanchester, leading researchers to believe that it may have been made in miniature as a toy. 

The grave grouping consisted of the cremated remains of a child within a Samian Beaker; Two clay animals, a horse and a bull, three other pots, including this one, two bracelets and two metal fittings. Whoever this child was, they appear to have been greatly treasured.   

The tiny vessel was made exactly the same as the more functional larger BB2 jars which were wheel-thrown in large numbers and distributed throughout Roman Britain. They are sometimes termed BB2 wares to differentiate them from similar pots known as BB1, which were hand-formed rather than wheel-thrown.

The term Black Burnished Ware comes from their distinctive polished and blackened surface often decorated with an incised lattice pattern. The black colouration is caused by the firing technique, which involves starving the kiln of oxygen during the final stages of firing.

 Materials

Earthenware, terracotta

Dimensions

Approx. 150 mm tall, 120 mm diameter

Production

This replica Roman pot has been hand made in Northumberland by Potted History, inspired by original artefacts.  It has been wood fired in an authentic replica of a Roman Pottery Kiln at Vindolanda Museum, to a temperature of between 800°C & 1000°C, using the same techniques that the original potters would have employed nearly two thousand years ago. This process often results in variations of the surface colour and texture.  When ordering you may not get the exact cup photographed and the colouring may vary slightly.  

Health and Safety

This is a Museum Quality Replica made using the tools and techniques that would have been used during the Roman era.  As this is an unglazed pot with a porous surface it will absorb some of the flavours during the cooking process, which does add to the flavour of future dishes. However, it does also mean that this pot does not meet modern Health and Safety standards and therefore we do not advise that it is used for cooking with.  When the Romans cooked in these pots they would rely on applying sufficient heat to the pot and contents to ensure that all bacteria was killed. Heating to over 70°C for at least 10 minutes would have killed most disease causing bacteria and temperatures of 100°C would do even more.

Postage
All items are sent using a second class postal service, if you wish to have an item sent first class please contact my for a quote. Many Thanks