Male urinal, Netherlands, 1740-1760
Illustrated with a picture of a woman holding an umbrella while standing by a lake, this earthenware urinal was intended for men to urinate into. Such portable urinals would have been owned, particularly by wealthier people, at a time when few hygienic toilet facilities were to be found outside of the home. They were particularly useful on long coach journeys.
Object number:
A625657
Related Themes and Topics
Glossary:
Glossary: urinal
A portable receptacle for urine. Urinal is now used as a term for a ceramic fixture, usually attached to a wall, that is used by men for urinating or for a place where there are facilities for urinating.
Glossary: earthenware
Pottery made of clay which is fired at a relatively low temperature. Earthenware is often semi-porous, meaning some liquid or air can pass through it. This can be altered by treating the pottery with a glaze.