Two Glazed Bottles and Three Cruet-Pots from Oxford: 15th century

Few ordinary people could afford glass vessels in Medieval times, and bottles are almost unknown before the end of the Medieval period, so it is interesting to speculate about what the two small glazed bottles, made in east Oxfordshire like the little glazed cup and bowl, could have been designed to hold or serve. Perhaps these bottles were used for feeding young children.

The small, squat, biconical glazed pots with self-clay frills around the widest part of the body must also be a specialised type of bottle, perhaps cruets for wine vinegar or even salt, dressings which the ordinary people of Oxford who used ceramic vessels would probably not have contemplated before the end of Medieval times; at feasts, ordinary people sat "below the salt", in other words out of reach of the condiment (savoury flavouring) vessels.

Nowadays we glaze clay vessels to reduce porosity and assist cleanliness and hygiene, but these were not considerations in Medieval times - the glaze was added simply to increase attractiveness. There is none on the drinking lip or on the inside.