Leather Costrel Documentation

Leather Costrel

A leather costrel embellished with the West Kingdom populace badge.  Submitted for judging in the Heraldry in any Mode Competition at Oerthan Winter Coronet, AS 47.

A costrel is a barrel shaped bottle used for carrying liquids—water, or possibly wine and beer.  Costrels were often made of leather and sealed with wax or pitch; although ceramic examples have been found[i].  Examples exist from the late 1300’s at the latest, and was used up through the 18^th century, at the earliest.  They ranged in size from tiny ones holding maybe a cup[ii], to gigantic versions which may have been used to collect wine taxes[iii].

In addition; the Oxford English Dictionary has this to say about the costrel: “A vessel for holding or carrying wine or other liquid; a large bottle with an ear or ears by which it could be suspended from the waist (whence the antiquarian designation “pilgrim’s bottle”) or small wooden keg similarly used, in which sense it is still in dialect use.” The earliest reference to costrels in the OED was by Sir Ferumbr, in 1380.