Chamber Pot

CultureEnglish
Titles
  • Chamber Pot
Datec. 1820–1840
Made inEngland
MediumCreamware (mocha ware)
Dimensions5 1/4 × 10 × 8 5/8 in. (13.3 × 25.4 × 21.9 cm)
Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, gift of Jas A. Gundry
Object numberB.97.40
Current Location
Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens
Maple Bedroom
Exposé

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Department
Bayou Bend
Object Type
Description

The humble chamber pot was a household necessity in the era before indoor plumbing and flush toilets became common in the United States during the late 1800s. Though other materials were used, ceramic seems to have been the most popular choice. The pot could be kept near the bed at night, or placed beneath the seat of a chair adapted for the purpose. 

This chamber pot was made of mocha ware, a kind of pottery characterized by feathering, branching decoration that resembles the markings of moss agate (mocha stone). The ornament was made by dabbing the body, either green ware or covered with slip, with a liquid pigment that then spread out through capillary action or by use of a blowpipe.


ProvenanceJas A. Gundry, Houston; given to MFAH, 1997.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
[no inscriptions]
[no marks]

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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