Comparative Evidence 



Sherds owned by C. H. Brannam, Ltd., and exca- 

 vated at the site of the Litchdon Street pottery in 

 Barnstaple. — The largest of these is part of a deep dish 

 (fig. 2). Its border design seems to be a degenerate 

 form of a beetle-like device found on Portuguese ma- 

 jolica of the period. From a crude oval with a stip- 

 pled line running the length of it, extends a spiral 

 scroll, terminating in a heavy dot, reminiscent of the 

 tendrils found on the Portuguese examples. From 

 incised lines near the rim and on the edge of the bezel 

 are small linear "hooks." The interior has sunflower 

 petals flanking a short, stylized palmette, with another 

 stalk and pair of leaves above, reaching up to what 

 may have been an elaborate floral center, now missing. 

 This decoration resembles closely the interiors of the 

 floral-type plates and chargers found at Jamestown. 

 A section of plate rim is similar to typical rims found 

 in American sites. The surface color is the butter 

 yellow found on the best Jamestown pieces. Paste 

 color also matches. 



Sherds from the North Walk pottery in Barnstaple, 

 described by Charbonnier. — These were found near 

 the site, on the banks of the Yeo and in a pasture. 

 They inchide plates and dishes, some finished and 

 others thrown out in the biscuit state. Charbonnier 

 illustrates a plate with a zig-zag or chevron border and 

 an incised bird in the center. The chevron appears 

 on Jamestown specimens but the bird does not. 



Harvest jugs. — 18th-century North De\-on harvest 

 jugs examined by the writer display the same charac- 

 teristics of paste, slip, and glaze as the Jamestown 

 sherds. However, the jugs difi'er stylistically to a 

 marked degree, suggesting that later potters were not 

 affected by the influences that appear in the earlier 

 work (fig. 16). The earliest harvest jug of which we 

 are aware is a hitherto unrecorded example, dated 

 1698, that is in the collection of Charles G. Dorman. 

 This is the only harvest jug yet encountered with 

 a history of use in America and the only North 

 Devon sgraffito piece known to have survived above 

 ground on this continent. It is a remarkably vigorous 

 pot, having a great rotund body, a high flaring collar, 

 and a lengthy inscription (see fig. 17). A female figure 

 under a wreath of pomegranates forms the central 

 motif. The head is turned in left profile, with hair 

 cascading to the shoulders. The bust is highly stylized 

 in an oval shape, within which are intersecting 

 curved lines forming areas decorated with diagonal 

 incising; or with rows of short dashes. The design 



P.A.PER 



13: NORTH DEVON POTTERY IN 17TH-CENTtRV .\MERIC.\ 



Figure 25. — Gravel-tempered food-storage jar from 

 Townsend site, Lewes, Delaware. Height, 12 

 inches; diameter at base, 9 inches. (USjYM 

 60.1188; Smitlisonian photo 28821.) 



here is strongly reminiscent of the geometrical decora- 

 tion on Jamestown plates and deep dishes. A pair 

 of unicorns flanks the central figure, and behind each 

 unicorn are a dove and swan, at left and right re- 

 spectively. Under these are sunflowers and tulips, 

 while a tulip stands above rows of leaves on a stem 

 below the handle. Feather-like leaves flank the 

 lower attachment of the handle. At the junction of 

 the shoulder and collar is a narrow band of incised 

 tulips. Above this is a heavy ridge from which 

 springs the flaring collar. Under the spout is a male 

 head, wearing a wig which is depicted in the same 

 manner as the pomegranates on the wreath, and a 



45 



