Bottle thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
British Galleries, Room 56, The Djanogly Gallery

Bottle

1675-1680 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Object Type
The stoneware bottles made by John Dwight at Fulham were copied initially from German prototypes. This example, apart from its superior potting, a more elegant handle and the absence of a face-mask, is essentially a substitute for the so-called 'bellarmine', a general-purpose stoneware bottle which was supplied by the million from the potteries of Frechen in the Rhineland. Such bottles were used for serving drink, but more importantly for storing strong beers which continued to ferment and to generate pressure in the bottle.

Ownership & Use
Many of Dwight's stoneware bottles were personalised with applied medallions containing initials, names, dates or inn signs, in the same way as contemporary sealed wine bottles. The beer bottles supplied for use at the famous Cock Alehouse at Temple Bar (on the south side of the Strand in London and much frequented by the diarist Samuel Pepys) are the most numerous to survive, while fragmentary 'Cock' medallions from many slightly-differing moulds were excavated at the Fulham Pottery in 1971-9. Almost all these are inscribed 'HC' for Henry Crosse, owner of the tavern and an important local brewer. But although the 'W. Morris' on the medallion of this bottle was never listed as owner, he is recorded as living nearby and is presumed to have acted as manager of the inn sometime in the 1670s.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Salt-glazed stoneware, with applied moulded decoration
Brief description
Bottle, salt-glazed stoneware, made by John Dwight's Fulham Pottery, Fulham, 1675-1680
Dimensions
  • Height: 20.4cm
  • Including handle width: 12cm
  • Depth: 12cm
Dimensions checked: measured; 15/07/1999 by DW
Marks and inscriptions
With the medallion of a cock, surrounded by the words 'W.MORRIS TEMPLE BAR'
Gallery label
  • British Galleries: STONEWARE BOTTLES
    Vast numbers of salt-glazed stoneware bottles and beer mugs were shipped by Dutch merchants from the mouth of the Rhine to London. Potters in England attempted to make stoneware using German expertise, but at first they were unsuccessful, both technically and commercially. Apart from his independent discovery of the salt-glaze technique, John Dwight's success lay in identifying suitable clays and developing reliable high-temperature kilns for the new stoneware.(27/03/2003)
  • Bottle Made at the factory of John Dwight, Fulham, England, about 1675 Marks: applied medallion of a cock with 'W Morris Temple Bar' Salt-glazed stoneware C.59-1967 Mrs M.B. Sargeant Bequest(23/05/2008)
Credit line
Bequeathed by Mrs M. B. Sargeant
Object history
Made in Fulham, London at the factory of John Dwight (born in Todenham, Gloucestershire, about 1633, died in Fulham, near London, 1703)
Summary
Object Type
The stoneware bottles made by John Dwight at Fulham were copied initially from German prototypes. This example, apart from its superior potting, a more elegant handle and the absence of a face-mask, is essentially a substitute for the so-called 'bellarmine', a general-purpose stoneware bottle which was supplied by the million from the potteries of Frechen in the Rhineland. Such bottles were used for serving drink, but more importantly for storing strong beers which continued to ferment and to generate pressure in the bottle.

Ownership & Use
Many of Dwight's stoneware bottles were personalised with applied medallions containing initials, names, dates or inn signs, in the same way as contemporary sealed wine bottles. The beer bottles supplied for use at the famous Cock Alehouse at Temple Bar (on the south side of the Strand in London and much frequented by the diarist Samuel Pepys) are the most numerous to survive, while fragmentary 'Cock' medallions from many slightly-differing moulds were excavated at the Fulham Pottery in 1971-9. Almost all these are inscribed 'HC' for Henry Crosse, owner of the tavern and an important local brewer. But although the 'W. Morris' on the medallion of this bottle was never listed as owner, he is recorded as living nearby and is presumed to have acted as manager of the inn sometime in the 1670s.
Collection
Accession number
C.59-1967

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJuly 14, 1999
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest