A pottery tyg jug such as this may have been used to serve beer to a local labourer or the city mayor. Drinking spaces were key locations for early modern people across the social spectrum, but they held unique significance for middling individuals aiming for or exercising local political and social agency. The watering holes of the period broadly sat on a spectrum from alehouses (the ‘lowest’ form of drinking establishment) to taverns and then the more elite inns. In reality, the lines were not so clear-cut. Middling and elite members of communities visited each type of space, though the tavern and especially the inn were more noticeably places where business, administration, religious organisation, and leisure combined. These inns tie together recreational space with local governance, social status, and identity.
Tyg (Drinking cup), c.1600-1700

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Tyg

Tyg (Drinking cup), c.1600-1700

A pottery tyg jug such as this may have been used to serve beer to a local labourer or the city mayor. Drinking spaces were key locations for early modern people across the social spectrum, but they held unique significance for middling individuals aiming for or exercising local political and social agency. The watering holes of the period broadly sat on a spectrum from alehouses (the ‘lowest’ form of drinking establishment) to taverns and then the more elite inns. In reality, the lines were not so clear-cut. Middling and elite members of communities visited each type of space, though the tavern and especially the inn were more noticeably places where business, administration, religious organisation, and leisure combined. These inns tie together recreational space with local governance, social status, and identity.

Object Type Drinking cup
Year c.1600-1700
Material Black-glazed, ceramic
Owned By Portable Antiquities Scheme LVPL-5D58CD
Keywords socialising; consuming; networks; leisure; morality; reputation; travel; food/drink; ceramics; tableware
Image Credit Drinking cup, Portable Antiquities Scheme LVPL-5D58CD, Courtesy of the Portable Antiquities Scheme Creative Commons BY 3.0.

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