This pottery vessel is from an excavation site in Killyneese townland near Magherafelt, Co. Derry/Londonderry. It was recovered from the excavation in pieces and has been reconstructed. You can see the find numbers in white on the individual sherds which were painstakingly re-assembled.
The vessel is called a saggar. Saggars were used in the production of fine wares which would have been too delicate to withstand the heat of the kiln. Saggars also prevented drips of glaze from ruining other vessels and could be stacked to utilize the space inside the kiln. This example is thought to date to the late 17th century and was probably used in the production of individual drinking cups or ‘tygs’.
This saggar is part of a pottery type being examined by Naomi Carver, a 2nd year PhD student at Queen’s University Belfast. Her research focuses on 17th - 19th century glazed coarse earthenware.
Model created by Dr. Siobhán McDermott QUB
Comments