This unglazed Parian porcelain cream jug measures 3.5 inches high and is decorated with a molded relief design of water nymphs. Although I believe it was made in the mid-1800s, it has a later Art Nouveau feel to it. It is marked on the underside with the incised number 463.
There’s no doubt this is a lovey little jug, but it would be nothing without its ornate replacement handle, added after the original broke off. Typically I find small jugs such as this with simple metal tinker-make handles, so I was surprised to see such a fancy replacement. I appreciate the ingenuity of the repairer for attaching the top part of the new handle over the remains of the broken original and adding a band around the base, rather than drilling though the jug. Even though the original handle was much smaller than the replacement (see last photo), I much prefer the juxtaposition of the two material mashed up together on my unique jug.
Here’s an example of the jug with its original handle intact.
Photo courtesy of eBay
