This tin-glazed ware dish, or charger, showing a cavalier was made at Montelupo near Florence.

The 529 sherds of Italian pottery recorded at Narrow Street, representing 247 MNVs (minimum number of vessels), cannot be matched by any other London excavation. The remarkable frequency of some forms of the Montelupo tin-glazed wares found at Narrow Street becomes evident when we draw comparisons with other regions in England. Three examples of Cavalier chargers were recovered from Narrow Street, one almost complete. None have been found in Wessex, an area with more natural trading links, and they are known from only six other English sites.

During the 16th century, Montelupo had not only established itself as the primary pottery supplier to Florence but had also achieved a dominant position in the market for polychrome maiolica across the Mediterranean and north-west Europe. These maiolica pieces were manufactured from a refined buff to light grey clay. The excavation at Narrow Street yielded a total of 130 sherds, originating from at least 79 vessels.

The separate pairs of feet on fourteen sherds of ‘cavalier’ dishes indicate at least four different dishes in this style. A characteristic of the Narrow Street cavaliers are the broad lines painted across their pantaloons. The most complete dish depicting a musketeer (above) was excavated during the site evaluation; it probably came from a pit datable to c. 1640-50. The plain yellow ground on three other vessel fragments may also belong to this category of Montelupo decoration dated 1640-70. Most were found in late 17th-century deposits, more often of the third quarter.