Eighteenth-century pottery (1)

Figure 7. Colonial pottery, utilitarian and less so. (Photograph by the author. More about the photograph)

Figure 7 shows similarly representative examples of jugs and storage jars on the lower levels, and other utilitarian objects and not so utilitarian objects on the shelves above. The lower shelf has a covered jar and milk crock on the left, and a puzzle jug, a monkey jug, and ring jug on the right. Puzzle jugs are an old European practical joke as they are made to dribble on the user’s clothes through holes in hollow handles or unblocked spouts. Ring jugs are an equal puzzle because some experts think they are utilitarian, and others think they were made only to amuse customers and demonstrate the technical skills of the potter. The top shelf contains a jug, bird house, and other unusual objects.

next