Their Seething of their Meat in Earthen Pots - Theodor de Bry

A detailed 1590 copperplate engraving by Theodor de Bry depicting indigenous Secotan people preparing food, based on the observations of John White.

This engraving, titled 'Their Seething of their Meat in Earthen Pots', originates from the 1590 publication 'A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia'. Theodor de Bry produced this work based on the original watercolour observations of John White, an artist who accompanied the 1585 expedition to Roanoke. The print depicts two indigenous Secotan people preparing a meal in a large ceramic vessel over an open fire.

The composition is structured around the central cooking pot, which emits a dense, stylised cloud of steam. To the left, a woman stands, holding a stirring implement, while to the right, a man kneels, using a fan to regulate the flames beneath the pot. De Bry employed precise, rhythmic hatching to define the figures and the textures of the wood, smoke, and ceramic. The engraving reflects the European fascination with the New World during the late sixteenth century, aiming to document the customs and daily life of the peoples encountered by English explorers.

While the figures exhibit the classical proportions often favoured by European artists of the period, the work provides a detailed record of material culture, including the construction of the cooking fire and the form of the earthen vessel. The print serves as a primary visual record of the contact period between European settlers and the indigenous populations of the North American Atlantic coast. Its clean lines and clear narrative focus make it a significant example of early modern ethnographic documentation, preserved through the medium of copperplate engraving.