Artifact: Chamber Pot
Materials: Pewter
Dimensions: OH: 5 13/16"; Diam (rim): 8 1/8"; Diam (base): 6 9/16"
Date: 1760-1790
Origin: England
Collection: Image Courtesy of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
License: All rights reserved
Ledger Entry: Chamber Pot
Department: Household
Customer: Vorlinda Wade
Ledger Page: 125
Imported From: Chamber pots were imported from Europe. Many came from England, however, the style of Rhenish gray stoneware chamber pots popular in the mid eighteenth century was imported from Germany.
Product Description
Before the widespread use of indoor plumbing, chamber pots were used as an alternative or supplement to outdoor privies. These squat, wide-rimmed vessels featured handles under the rims to facilitate waste removal. They were typically made of ceramic although some pewter ones were made and sold. While these vessels served a practical and basic function, they were often decorated indicating some level of display.
Citation: Hind A. “History of the Chamber Pot.” History Magazine. June 2011; 12(5):6-7; Ivor Noël Hume. A Guide to Artifacts of Colonial America. (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001), 145-150.
Historical Price: 3 shillings, 9 pence; Modern USD: $42
Product Variations
The databases record only one purchase of a chamber pot.
