Most of them I've seen were/are in butter or soap dishes, but they also were 
inside of ice buckets.  I own one with the large hole in the middle and 
smaller ones around it similar to yours inside the strainer for a slop 
bucket / combinet.  I saw one with the big hole/small holes inside a very 
fancy chamberpot inside a displayed commode in an antique store.  None of 
the ones I own or recall were oval.

I've also identified perforated UNglazed inserts for cookware items.

S. Walter
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Barbara Voss" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, June 03, 2011 1:39 PM
Subject: help identifying historic ceramics?


> Dear Hist Arch'ers,
>
> My students and I have come across some unusual ceramics from the Market
> Street Chinatown in San Jose; we've been unable to identify them with the
> standard references. Perhaps some of you have seen them elsewhere?
>
> Pictures are posted on our project website:
> http://marketstreet.stanford.edu/
>
> They are:
> 1. A perforated, oval-shaped whiteware dish
> 2. A porcelaneous stoneware rice bowl with an unusual and very stylized
> underglaze motif
> 3. An eight-sided porcelain cup with a floral overglaze motif.
>
> Any assistance would be gratefully appreciated - thanks so much
>
> --Barb
>
> -----------------------------------------------
> Barbara L. Voss, Associate Professor
> Department of Anthropology
> 450 Serra Mall, Bldg. 50, Main Quad
> Stanford University
> Stanford CA 94305-2034
> 650 723-3421 (dept office)
> 650 725-0605 (fax)
> [log in to unmask]


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