THREE 17th CENTURY CERAMIC BOWLS DISCOVERED IN LONDON DIG

THREE 17th CENTURY CERAMIC BOWLS HAVE BEEN UNEARTHED IN AN ANCIENT QUARTER OF LONDON FREQUENTED BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AND THEIR WORKMANSHIP RANKS WITH HIGH ART OF THE PERIOD, EXPERTS WHO FOUND THEM SAID ON MONDAY. THE RICHLY DECORATED HAND-PAINTED DELFWARE BOWLS WERE EXCAVATED BY ARCHAEOLOGISTS FROM A RUBBISH PIT IN A YARD CLOSE TO SOUTHWARK CATHEDRAL AND THE SITE OF OLD LONDON BRIDGE ON THE SOUTH BANK OF THE RIVER THAMES. THE GROUP CONSISTS OF A CHARGER DECORATED WITH TULIPS MADE IN THE 1660s, THE DECADE OF THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON, A BOWL DEPICTING A BOY TORMENTING A DOG WITH A STICK AND ANOTHER CELEBRATING THE MARRIAGE OF ONE NATHANIEL TOWNSEND, AN EMPLOYEE OF A LOCAL INDUSTRY, THE LEATHERSELLERS COMPANY, DATED 1674. THE BOWL IS ADORNED WITH THE CREST OF THE FIRM. THE AREA WHERE THEY ARE FOUND WAS SETTLED IN PRE-HISTORIC AND ROMAN TIMES AND WAS A BOISTEROUS PLACE IN THE 17th CENTURY FAMED FOR TAVERNS, BEAR-BAITING THEATERS AND BROTHELS. ROY STEPHENSON, HEAD OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS AT THE MUSEUM OF LONDON, SAID THE RICHLY DECORATED BOWLS SHOULD BE SEEN AS RARE PIECES OF FINE ART IN THEIR OWN RIGHT. 'THE THING ABOUT TIN-GLAZED WEAR IS EVERY PIECE IN UNIQUE BECAUSE IT IS PAINTED INDIVIDUALLY BY HAND', HE SAID IN A RECENT INTERVIEW. THE TERM, 'DELFWARE' WAS USED FROM THE 18th CENTURY TO REFER TO TIN-GLAZED EARTHENWARE MADE IN BRITAIN, RATHER THAN THE PRODUCTS OF FAMOUS DUTCH CENTER OF DELFT. THE VESSELS, EACH ABOUT 30-35 cm IN DIAMETER, OFFER A GLIMPSE INTO A LONDONER'S LIFE AT THE TIME. THE BOWLS WOULD HAVE BEEN DISPLAYED ON A DRESSER IN A TYPICAL HOME. THE ARTIFACTS, FOUND IN PIECES AT A SITE BEING PREPARED FOR A CENTRAL LONDON RAIL EXTENSION, HAVE BEEN PAINSTAKINGLY RECONSTRUCTED AND WILL GO ON DISPLAY AT THE MUSEUM'S NEW 'WAR, PLAGUE AND FIRE', GALLERIES WHICH OPENED IN MAY.