Earthenware posset pot, glazed

Earthenware posset pot, tin glazed, with spout and repousse decoration, probably London, 1650-1700

Posset, made from hot milk curdled with ale or wine, and sometimes thickened with breadcrumbs, was drunk as a popular remedy for colds. Spices could also be added to the mixture. This pot, which was used to store posset, is made from tin-glazed earthenware. The pot is decorated with three rows of raised bumps formed by a technique known as repoussé, where the clay is hammered from the inside. This pot has the numbers “16” and “61” either side of the spout which almost certainly indicate when the pot was made.