Featured Westerwald Jug - Age?

Hi, I bought this Westerwald jug. It is quite big, ca. 45 cm. Has anyone an idea how old it is? My guess would be 19th century? It seems that the decoration is typical for the early 19th century, or is it newer? And what does the number 6 on the side mean?
Thank you very much again,
Mat

 

I didn't go back and re-read this thread but on about page 7 is a similar shape jug I have with some info I think. Could be more info mixed in, I don't remember.

http://community.ebay.com/t5/Archiv...n-Salt-Glaze/m-p/1301091/highlight/true#M2127

 

Thank you for the link! In that thread you assumed an early 20th century date for your jug, but there were no comments on that. Do you still believe that this is it's age? I will have to read the whole thread, there seems to be a lot of information on stoneware in it!

 

Hi Mat, I went back and looked at my documentation on that particular jug and I don't have any further notes. I also pulled a few books and did a quick flip through hoping for an instant answer but of course there wasn't an exact match. When I get a chance I'll have a better read if no one else gets back to you first.

I do have another similar shape jug with cobalt so I'll have a look at that too. I know that they are sometimes said to be 18th C with some into the 19th C but I think that there may be some continuous production going on. It's been awhile since I looked or thought about it so I'll give it a go when I can.

 

the form would be Birnbauchkrug (pear belly jug).
if it's as early as this here ?
http://www.museum-digital.de/rlp/index.php?t=objekt&oges=1523

the one with the chess borad is rather new IMO.
compare here.
http://www.museum-digital.de/rlp/index.php?t=objekt&oges=1801

 

Would the six represent quantity as in 6 pints?

 

I'm not sure if it couldn't be a G.
anyways, before answering that question we need to know how much liquid it holds.

 

I think dating these can be very confusing but with a good museum reference from the area of production it's probably as good as you can get. Here is an example, the museum website shows a jug/kanne with a mid 19th C date but here is a similar one from Seewaldt's book Rheinisches Steinzeug Bestandskatalog des Rheinischen Landesmuseums Trier that has a late 18th C date.

It makes the term "antique" very attractive (without attaching a date) I think.

http://www.museum-digital.de/rlp/index.php?t=objekt&oges=1797

 

Thank you for all these informations! I think the information given for this kind of jug in the descriptions of the Westerwald museum are a bit confusing. On the one hand they state that this shape was developed around the middle of the 19th century, on the other hand they date such examples to the early 19th century ( see this one: http://www.museum-digital.de/rlp/index.php?t=objekt&oges=1800 ) Also the description of the example that is very similar to mine (thank you fibald) states that the chess pattern on their jug imitates examples of the early 19th century, so it must have existed on earlier items. My jug fits ca. 6 liter, so I think it is indeed a number... I tried to find out when the liter was used as a measure in Germany to have a " terminus post quem" for my jug, but that does not help too much, I fear. It seems that the metric system was used from 1869 or 1871 on, but there were other measuring units before that were very close to one liter, as the bavarian "Maß" so I am not completely sure. However maybe a date after 1869 or 71 is more likely, and also your example with the leaf decoration, say_it_slowly, seems to belong to the 2nd half of the 19th century, see some furher information here: http://www.steveonsteins.com/some-of-the-beauties-of-the-westerwald-3
Mat

 

All very interesting reading but as I say there is much confusion and sometimes it's hard to know just who has it right (if anyone). You mention TPQ so perhaps you're familiar with Ivor Noel Hume. He dated the center jug as traditional decoration, second half of the Eighteenth Century.

 

I did not know Hume, as I am not familiar with American Archaeology, but more with Classical Archaeology, but of course we use the term TPQ too. However his dating is very interesting. Do you know if that jug comes from some dateable context? That would be great of course and a proof that that shape and decoration existed already in the 18th century.
Just for fun I show another Westerwald piece I have, I think from the 2nd half of the 17th century.

 

Great jug! Is there text on any of the medallions?

Here is what Hume says on the photo of the three jugs above,

And some photos and info a jugs similar to your.

Hume: If These Pots Could Talk


From Steinzeug: Rheinisches Steinzeug Bestandskatalog des Rheinischen Landesmuseums Trier


From Gaimster: German Stoneware 1200-1900

 

Thank you so much for sharing all that information, say_it_slowly! You are lucky to have these reference books, I will try to find at least some of them for myself! To your question: unfortunately there is nothing written on the jug, the ornamental medallion you can see in the photo is just repeated 3 times.