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In the 18th century, the Bideford area was well endowed with so-called country potters. Most of the time, they were making everyday wares but, occasionally, the gentry or wealthy farmers would commission a harvest or celebratory jug. These were handed down within families, limiting the number that become available today on the open market.<\/p>\n

The typical shape is a bulbous body, a flared narrow neck and a scroll handle. Plainer harvest-style jugs would have carried ale to workers in the fields. But commissioned jugs were highly decorated with simple or stylised motifs. Subjects ranged from the natural world, such as tulips and butterflies, to royal emblems, such as unicorns and flags, and rhyming verses that referred to farming, drinking, the perils of the sea and the potter\u2019s art. \u2018When men do Laber hard and swet,\u2019 reads one, \u2018good Ale is bether far than meet.\u2019 The misspellings add to the folksy charm, as does the fact that the lip of the jug would sometimes be inscribed with a face. They also act as social history. For example, a Barnstaple marriage jug from 1741 shows the bride and groom dressed in the fashions of the day.<\/p>\n

Inevitably, in a seafaring community, maritime themes are also common. An eye-catching example, dated 1757 and signed Thomas Fields, includes mythical sea creatures, a compass rose and a sailing ship. It is inscribed with a verse about \u2018the larger monsters of the deep\u2019. The jug sold at Christie\u2019s in New York last year for $40,000, making it one of the most expensive ever. A jug of similar design in the Burton has drawings of rather woolly-looking fish, as though the decorator might have been more familiar with sheep.<\/p>\n