Potry-Inkstnd-art - 4/25/19
"A Medieval Pottery Inkstand from Byland Abbey" by Lord Ian the Green.
NOTE: See also the files: iwandpc-msg, inks-msg, Oak-Gall-Inks-art, Ink-Ingred-art, Ink-Making-art, Blk-Walnt-Ink-art, A-Girdle-Book-art, L-Legal-Docs-art.
************************************************************************
NOTICE -
This article was added to this set of files, called Stefan's Florilegium, with the permission of the author.
These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
Copyright to the contents of this file remains with the author or translator.
While the author will likely give permission for this work to be reprinted in SCA type publications, please check with the author first or check for any permissions granted at the end of this file.
Thank you,
Mark S. Harris...AKA:..Stefan li Rous
stefan at florilegium.org
************************************************************************
For more articles by this author, see this site: https://scribescribbling.wordpress.com
A Medieval Pottery Inkstand from Byland Abbey
by Lord Ian the Green
April 22, 2019
The Byland Abbey is near Helmsley, Yorkshire. It is currently under the care of the English Heritage Foundation an organization that cares for over 400 important British hisotrical sites including Stonehenge. Byland Abbey was highly influential in its heydey and its architecture had vast influence over its region. You can learn more about the Byland Abbey and its history here.
The Abbey itself was part of Henry VIII's Suppression. It was a time where Henry was consolidating his power after declaring himself the head of the English Church. Henry closed churches and religious buildings that were making less than 200 Pounds a year. That created an uprising which he used to close larger religious buildings as well. The Byland Abbey signed its deed of surrender. This inkstand presumably could have "been used, possibly for the last time, to sign the deed of surrender handing the abbey over to Henry VIII's commissioners."
The "Journal of Medieval Archaeology" vol 5 1961 did a short five paragraph article about the inkstand. The inkstand is on site at the ruins of the abbey and is apparently on display.
The inkstand itself is a lovely specimen and perhaps the only surviving example of such an inkstand. Dark green in color, it is seven inches to a side and only about two and a half inches tall. It has been dated to the 14th or 15th century. Mostly by the thick green glaze on it. "The quality of the dark green glaze covering it, however, points to a date in the latter part of this period, in the 14th or 15th century." The article gives a very precise description of the ink stand.
A really nice thing about many museums and historical organizations is that they often will take requests to photograph their artifacts. I made such a request, and then followed up on it. and received the following lovely pictures.
---------------
If this article is reprinted in a publication, I would appreciate a notice in the publication that you found this article in the Florilegium. I would also appreciate an email to myself, so that I can track which articles are being reprinted. Thanks. -Stefan.
<the end>