60/27/1

This is an earthenware cream pot, for storing cream for sale. The interior has a dark brown glaze, while the interior is unglazed. The pot came from the University of Reading's Department of Dairying, probably when the Department was based on the Shinfield Estate, Reading.

1 cream pot: earthenware; good condition

MERL miscellaneous note, Greta Bertram, 25 January 2013 – Objects 60/22–60/31 were all used by the ‘Department of Dairying’ at the University of Reading. The name of the department has changed several times over the years, as has its location. It began as the British Dairy Institute in 1888, and was based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, until 1908. It later became the Department of Dairying and was based at the Shinfield Estate in Reading, which was purchased by the University in 1921. In 1982 it became the Dairy Unit of the Department of Food Sciences on the Whiteknights Campus in Reading. See ’The University of Reading, Department of Dairying, the history of an unusual university department over its first hundred years’ by James Rothwell for full details. A memo from Margaret Fuller at MERL to Miss A. Sheppard at the Department of Dairying in 1960 asks whether the three curd breakers (60/24/1–3), a wooden skimmer (annotated by Miss Sheppard as being a ‘butter scoop’) (60/25) and a large coopered item (annotated by Miss Sheppard as being a ‘Cheshire cheese mould’) (60/23) were used in the Department. Miss Sheppard has annotated that ‘all were used in the department when at Aylesbury between 1888–1908’., MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Museum of English Rural Life) – 'Standard museum name: … // Accession number: … // Classification: … // Negative number: … // Acquisition method: … // Acquired from: … // Date: … // Store: … // Condition: … // Recorder: KCS // Date: 22/3/94 // Description: (2) Earthenware. Glazed on the inside only. V. Rough exterior. // (1) Earthenware, glazed on the inside only, with a dark brown glaze. Smoother exterior, with some faint horizontal rings showing from when it was made. // Dimensions: (2) Height 7.6cm. Diameter at top 8.6cm. Diam. at base 6.6cm. // (1) Height 9.5cm. Diameter at top 7.0cm. Diam. at base 4.0cm. // Associated information: For storing cream for sale. // Clayware was used to keep down the temperature of things likely to spoil in the heat. Cream jars were sometimes protected by a beaded cover to keep out flies. // References: The Country Kitchen: John Vince.'

Ceramic, earthenware, Glaze

Fired, Glazed