Antique English 18th Century English Brown Stoneware Puzzle Jug Nottingham 1706

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A rare antique English Queen Anne period salt-glazed stoneware puzzle jug, Nottingham, dated 1706.
A rare example of very early … Read more A rare antique English Queen Anne period salt-glazed stoneware puzzle jug, Nottingham, dated 1706.
A rare example of very early 18th century English vernacular pottery, a whimsical puzzle jug made of local Nottingham clay and salt-glazed. The top with three spouts/mouthpieces & a strap handle connected to a pierced top with circular & triangular motifs with a globular baluster shaped body below & raised on a flared foot.
The globular body is decorated in relief with drunken revellers and is dated "1706" and initialed "J. B.", this rare antique puzzle jug is in remarkable condition, no damge or restoration.

Puzzle jugs were popular from the 17th century onwards, but historically English excavations have unearthed such jugs dating back to the 12th century. Very often found in taverns, such jugs challenge the drinker to drink the contents without spilling them down their front, which, because the neck of the jug is perforated is impossible to do without knowing the secret of the jug.
The solution to the puzzle is that the jug has a hidden tube, one end of which is the spout. The tube usually runs around the rim and then down the handle, with its other opening inside the jug and near the bottom. To solve the puzzle, the drinker must suck from the spout end of the tube. To make the puzzle more interesting, it was common to provide a number of additional holes along the tube, which must be closed off before the contents could be sucked. See less