page_title: Surrey whiteware
section_title: Decoration
hierarchical_section_title: Surrey whiteware / Description / Decoration
caption_attribution_description: English: Late medieval Tudor Green ware jug, Buff fabric with yellow-green glaze on upper body; tall neck &amp; rounded body with flat base &amp; strap handle.
context_page_description: Surrey whiteware or Surrey white ware, is a type of lead-glazed pottery produced in Britain from the 13th to the 16th centuries. The white-fired sandy earthenware was produced largely from kilns in Surrey and along the Surrey-Hampshire border. Surrey whitewares were the most commonly used pottery in London during the late medieval period. There are four classes of Surrey whiteware: Kingston-type, Coarse Border ware, Cheam whiteware and Tudor Green ware.
context_section_description: The decoration of Surrey whitewares ranged from plain and unadorned to more elaborately ornamented items. A clear or coloured lead glazed was commonly used by potters. Additional decoration techniques include one or more of the following: coating individual pieces with a white or red slip, the application of stamps or the marking of lines on an item with a comb. Stamped decoration is often found in Kingston-type ware and Coarse Border ware, but not Cheam whiteware. Other decorative techniques included the application of a bichrome glaze, yellow on the inside with a green exterior. The application of a glaze on the upper part of the pottery vessel was popular in the 13th century. The painting of simple decorations or lines was a common decorative technique. 
  Kingston-type ware had the greatest variety of decoration and Cheam whiteware had the least. Kingston-type decoration typically consisted of regularly spaced combed or engraved lines. The more embellished vessels generally had a lead glaze coloured green with the addition of copper. Another common decorative technique was the application of strips or bands of clay to the individual pot. More complex designs include stamped bosses, floral patterns, overlaid scales, and pinecone impressions. Anthropomorphic decorations, although not common, are primarily depictions of human faces.  
   
  The primary market for Coarse Border ware was individual households; pottery items were generally used for preparing food. The pottery was typically simple, without decoration. Besides the application of a green glaze, horizontal bands and engraved lines are some of the simplest forms of decoration for Coarse Border ware. Painted decoration was used on Coarse Border ware, primarily for cisterns.
  Cheam white ware was primarily functional in nature, used primarily for vessels used for storage and drinking of liquids. Glaze was used sporadically on most pottery forms. The application of green or yellow glaze was generally applied to the upper half of the body, and internal glazing was common on the inside of the vessels used for storage of liquids. Painted or incised bands or lines were simple forms of decoration. There are fewer examples of Tudor Green ware available, due to its very fine, thin-walled fabric. Tudor Green ware is known for its green-glazing.
caption: Tudor Green ware jug
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