Lustreware Masonic Pearlware Jug from Sunderland, 1850s

Details

Description

An English pearlware Freemasons jug, c.1850, in the Sunderland lustreware tradition. Made at the Low Lights Pottery in North Shields, … Read more An English pearlware Freemasons jug, c.1850, in the Sunderland lustreware tradition. Made at the Low Lights Pottery in North Shields, it is attributed to John Carr & Co.

The large rounded form is finished with a cylindrical neck, projecting spout and loop handle. Pink lustre ornament surrounds three black transfer-printed panels: a temple scene with Masonic symbols and the verse "The world is in pain", a mortality verse beginning "Swiftly see each moment flies", and the fraternal inscription "Friendship, Love and Truth".

The jug has a particularly strong visual presence because of its scale and the crisp survival of all three printed panels. An old inventory label "248" remains on the underside. It comes from the collection of an English gentleman.

Dimensions:
Height: 23.5 cm
Width: 30 cm
Diameter: 22.3 cm
Weight: 1,517 g

Condition:
A crack to the spout has been restored and retouched inside and out. A crack across the base has also been restored and retouched, including inside. There is overpainting around the circumference of the lower body and a small chip to the inner rim. The transfer-printed decoration is exceptionally well preserved across all three sides. See less