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Puzzle jug: C.1556-1928

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An image of Puzzle jug
An image of Puzzle jug
An image of Puzzle jug
Current Location: Gallery 27 (Glaisher)

Maker(s)

Pottery: Unidentified Liverpool pottery

Entities

Categories

Description

Tin-glazed earthenware, painted in blue with flowers and a wager

Buff eathenware, the body thrown and its neck pierced, and having an applied tubular rim with three spouts, linked to an applied tubular handle with a connecting hole into the lower part of the body. The piercing on the neck forms flower heads with heart-shaped and oval petals outlined in blue. The front of the lower part is decorated with a shaped panel inscribed with a wager, 'Here Gentelmen come try youre skill,/I'll hold A wager if you will,/That you don't drink this lquor all,/Without you spill or lett some fall./Thos Buckley. 1759'. This is flanked by floral sprays. The back of the handle and the rim have scroll decoration.

Notes

History note: William Turner, Purley Chase, Atherstone, Warwickshire; the collection was sold in its entirety to Mr Stoner (probably George), London, who kept the best pieces for his shops, and disposed of the rest at Puttick & Simpson on 5 and 6 April 1911. He sold this piece in 1911 for £11 to Dr J.W.L. Glaisher, FRS, Trinity College, Cambridge.

Legal notes

Dr J.W.L. Glaisher Bequest

Measurements and weight

Height: 18 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1928-12-07) by Glaisher, J. W. L., Dr

Dating

18th Century, third quarter
George III
Production date: dated AD 1769

Note

Attributed to Bristol by Rackham and reattributed to Liverpool by F.H. Garner on 19 August 1964

School or Style

Rococo

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Decoration composed of high-temperature colour ( blue from cobalt)
Body
Neck

Materials used in production

bluish-white Tin-glaze
Earthenware

Techniques used in production

Tin-glazing

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: Here Gentelmen come try youre skill,/I'll hold A wager if you will,/That you don't drink this lquor all,/Without you spill or lett some fall./Thos Buckley. 1759
  • Location: On exterior of body
  • Method of creation: Painted in blue
  • Type: Inscription

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.1556-1928
Primary reference Number: 72217
Old object number: 3381

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Tuesday 30 April 2024

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Puzzle jug" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/72217 Accessed: 2025-12-05 08:49:17

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/72217 |title=Puzzle jug |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 08:49:17|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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