Pottery Types
This page lists some of the pottery that Bill Crumbleholme is producing, inspired by his researches. Some of the types have separate pages devoted to them.
At the bottom of this page there are some images of Bill's display information sheets about the types of pottery he makes. These can be extracted and printed out if reuired to go with a purchase.
Bill sells most of these types, subject to availability - they are made in batches as and when stocks run low. Some items are made to order on commission.
The pots can be purchased at events during the year - as listed on this website - or by visiting Bill by appointment. Parcel Force are occassionally entrusted to deliver small batches of pottery.
If you are looking for a particular type it is a good idea to contact Bill by email and ask him about it, he can email an image or two of what he has in stock or what he could make to order, give some prices and arrange delivery or collection.
The pottery on this site is not priced individually as each piece is different, Bill often sells his wares by haggling over the price with his customers - as part of the whole experience! But expect to make a reasonable offer or you may offend him!
For a better insight into ancient pottery styles it is a good idea to visit a museum, such as the excellent Dorset County Museum in Dorchester - which has a prehistoric collection on display, much of which has inspired Bill. The shop there also sells Bill's pottery! Details of DCM can be found by following this link.
Bill teaches people to make pottery in various styles, if you would like to learn and make some pottery yourself then take a look at the events and workshops listed on this website.
There are some more images of collections of replicas on the webpage about the studio at this link.
Many of the smaller images below can be seen at a larger size if selected and viewed separately.
Neolithic
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Grooved Ware, the earliest functional pottery made in England, found particularly at feasting sites such as Durrington Walls, near Stonehenge.
Diane, Bill's wife, is happy stewing pork and lamb over a bonfire in a couple of the early Grooved Ware buckets!
Neolithic beakers with lug handles and impressed zig-zag decoration
Maggot decorated round bottom bowls. The decoration is applied by pushing a piece of rope into the damp clay, the rope is wrapped around another rope, so it forms a tight spiral. |
The larger Grooved Ware bucket has been made for the Hengistbury Head Pottery Project. See this link
Detail of incised decoration on grooved bucket.
Grooved ware urn with vertical raised decoration and incised grooves.
A collection of Neolithic pots, small Hembury bowls, a grooved ware bucket and a couple of round bottomed bowls.
Hembury Ware style round bottomed bowl |
Bronze Age
Beakers
This is a batch of pots inspired by the Bronze Age beakers. They were thrown using stoneware clay, the feet were turned smooth and then decoration was applied by impressing a comb into the damp clay. Glaze was applied to the inside and rims. They were then fired in a wood fuelled kiln (see this link)
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Wood fired beaker.
This is a thrown soda fired beaker - see this page for the process.
All over corded beaker, a replica of one which was part of the Amesbury Archer's grave goods.
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The most famous ancient type of pottery, beakers are a beautiful shape, with wonderful geometric patterns. Bill makes several ranges of beakers, from authentic hand made wares fired in bonfires to more useful modern drinking vessels, fired with glaze so they are funtional. There is a separate webpage covering these beakers.
These are hand made beakers drying out.
These are replica beakers made for Hengistbury Head Visitor Centre
A collection of vessels, mainly fired in bonfires and clamp kilns |
Urns Collared urns are great shapes to be inspired by, they make imposing almost sculptural shapes and yet can be functional - for ritual deposits! Like the beakers they are made both as authentic pieces and using more modern techniques. |
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A pair of urns with impressed decoration
Damp collared urn, hand built and decorated using rope impressions. This urn was fired in a simple turf kiln - see this webpage. |
A collection of wood fired collared urns, handbuilt and thrown, glazed internally, but left for the wood ash and flames to enhance the outside unglazed surfaces. |
Collared urns, decoration impressed with a piece of knapped flint.
Collared Urn with pecked decoration.
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A Trevisher style urn, hand built in sections, fired to about 1000C in the wood fuelled kiln. This was made for the Hengistbury Head Visitor Centre - see this link. |
Iron Age
Celtic Bowls - Black Burnished Wares |
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A thrown stoneware bowl inspired by Black Burned Ware, with lattice decoration. |
Celtic is a term that works well with the public (especially our visiting American friends!), but is mainly frowned upon by serious archaeologists because it is a bit like saying European. The "Maiden Castle War Cemetery Bowl" is a favourite style of Bill's. There is a separate page about these at this link.
BBW Jars, hand built - pinched with sections joined together, electric fired, ready to be smoked. |
Romano-British
A replica of a black burnished ware bowl.
Black burnished ware replicas fired at Bestwall Quarry archaeological site - see this link |
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Dishes inspired by the Roman Mortaria - originally used for grinding food. These versions are thrown using stoneware clay and wood fired - which produces a very pleasing mottled finish to the pale glaze in the insides. The spouts give an obvious hint at their functionality.
A few amphora jars, thron in two pieces, stoneware wood fired. |
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Later British
Costrels |
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Costrels - jars in the style of the Verwood Potteries, also known as Dorset Owls!
Display of Bill's Jugs, Costrels, Beakers and an amphora
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Bill's Leaflets - these can be extracted and printed out, if required to go with a purchase of one of the types.
