Lowestoft pearlware jug, c.1780

I spotted this diminutive pear-shaped sparrow beak cream jug in an antiques shop in Dublin, Ireland in 2015. It is decorated with the Pagoda and Trees pattern, hand rendered in cobalt blue underglaze. A delicate lattice border embellishes the inside rim. Made in England by the Lowestoft factory around 1775-1785, the jug stands 3 inches high and has an incised number 4 on the underside.

After the original handle broke off over 200 years ago, a tinker made a metal replacement supported with horizontal and vertical straps, much like an iron girdle. Although the small but mighty jug is in poor condition, I felt compelled to rescue it and bring it back to America, where it now lives among friends with similar battle scars. 

This jug with similar form and decoration shows what the original handle on mine might have looked like.

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Photo courtesy of English Porcelain Online

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3 Responses to “Lowestoft pearlware jug, c.1780”

  1. Joanne says:

    This is a pretty little milk pitcher – I have a little one like this with an Elmers glue repaired handle and the beak intact that my husband found at an antiques mall. I usually take the ironstone tiny pitcher for my morning tea. But I do like seeing it’s there in the cupboard. Such a cute beak.

  2. Richard R Bruce says:

    Such a cute jug! strangely reminiscent of “willow” pattern! I am sure you are aware of the story of “Willow Pattern” the tea clippers brought from china quality porcelain than english manufacturers could produce also it helped Ballast (stabilise) the delicate tea clippers racing back to England. when the Brit industry upgraded their product they had to “fake it” as oriental to persuade the customers to buy! —-There is a modern twist! modern day China ,now geared to sell to the world, are now producing modern willow pattern in the traditional “english willow” MARKED “ROYAL SUSSEX”!!! it is really good quality too.

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