Mustard Pots
Rare collection of mustard pots.
Commonly served as a paste, mustard is one of the most widely used condiments in the world. The strong and bitter taste can range from sweet to spicy and varies in colour from bright yellow to dark brown depending on the type of plant used (white/yellow, brown or black). To make the paste, seeds from the mustard plant either whole or ground, cracked or bruised are mixed with a variety of liquids including water, vinegar, lemon juice, wine, or other flavorings or spices.
Mustard has been popular in Africa and China for thousands of years. The Chinese royal courts during the Zhou Dynasty (1045-256 BC) used mustard to whet the appetite for the later courses in a meal. In Roman times, unfermented grape juice (must) was mixed with ground mustard seeds (sinapis) to create ‘burning must’. Parisian monks produced mustard in the 10th century, and by the 13th century the city of Dijon had become recognized for producing French mustard.
The earliest known use of mustard in England is from the year 1390 by King Richard II’s master cooks for a recipe for mustard balls in the medieval recipe book The Forme of Cury. The town of Tewkesbury became known for its mustard balls which were exported to London, and mentioned in Shakespeare’s play King Henry IV. The English word “mustard” is derived from the Anglo-Norman “mustarde” and the Old French “Mostarde”, originating from the latin “Mustum ardens” (burning must).
Popular as a table condiment during the 18th century, mustard was served either dry or in a paste. Dry powder castors were left unpierced, or with a removable sleeve to block the holes. Paste was more common and served in a pot, often fitted with a spoon. Early mustard pots were usually cylindrical, often decorated with cut work to create a silhouette effect, sometimes to highlight a fitted glass liner (often of the popular cobalt blue colour). Usually finely crafted in sterling silver, by the mid 18th century mustard pots began to also be produced in porcelain.
This collection contains a variety of Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian mustard pots ranging in shape and size, carefully assembled over a lifetime. These pots continue to be useful today not only for mustard but also for sauces, spreads, and jams.