Dear all, thanks so much to all of you who replied, both on and off list, to
my query about some "mystery" ceramics in the Market Street Chinatown
collection. (photos posted on
http://marketstreet.stanford.edu/2011/05/29-week/)


For the whiteware perforated oval dish, the concensus seems to be that the
vessel was most likely an inset to a butter dish, designed to separate the
butter balls from the ice beneath that kept the butter cool. 

But several responses also noted similarities with specimens known to be
insets for soap dishes, vases, and teapots; and others noted that this kind
of perforated inset was quite common in a steamer pots and glass dryers to
chamber pots and slop buckets. It seems that the use of a perforated ceramic
insert was quite common in a range of functional vessels.

Roberta Greenwood identified the rice bowl type commonly referred to as
Swatow, with a biscuit or stacking ring, with the squiggle-like decorations
referred to as flame scrolls or fire motifs. She also noted that similar
octagonal cups with foliage have been found at other sites.

Thanks again for all the great info and references; my students and I really
appreciate it.
--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)
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