Anglo-Saxon Cinerary Urn

Country of Origin: Britain

Description: This sandy ware urn dates from the sixth century and is a particularly well-preserved example of an early Anglo-Saxon type known from the area around Illington and Lackford, Suffolk. These urns represent the highest standard of the potter's art in this period. The area was a centre of production for a workshop, perhaps of a single potter, with quite a wide distribution (vessels from the same workshop have been found at Thurmaston in Leicestershire. for example). The pottery was probably one of the earliest mass production centres.

Dimensions: 33cm height x 24cm diameter

Object Period: Anglo-Saxon

Provenance: Lackford, Suffolk

Museum Accession No.: AN1927.77

Aquisition History: Acquired by Sir John Evans from Mr. Joseph Warren. Presented to the Ashmolean by Sir Arthur Evans in 1927.

Other Information: This urn was discovered before the large cemetery was excavated in the 1940s. Other similar vessels from the Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Lackford can be found in Cambridge Museum.