Green Glazed Jug, ead glazed earthenware, Made in Mill Green, Essex, England,14th century.
The speckled green glaze is typical of medieval ceramics from the kilns at Mill Green, about forty miles northeast of London. For about a century, beginning around 1270, potters there created tableware both for local use and for sale in the capital and at other locales within about a forty-mile radius, including Kent, Cambridge, and Hertfordshire. This jug’s thin walls reflect the skill of the ceramicist. The decorative accents—with raised ribs and incised lines—further suggest its use by a refined clientele.