This handsome stoneware puzzle jug is decorated with stylised floral cut-out designs to the neck, a cut-out geometric border running around the galleried rim, and sprigged decoration applied to the body. There are three spouts to drink from, and the hollow handle is plain and generously proportioned with a hole beneath the top terminal.

The piece is not marked and the base is unglazed. There is a small firing crack on the base.

To empty the vessel without spilling the contents it is necessary to stop all the apertures except one, and to drain it by suction. Puzzle jugs were produced as tavern jokes, and the sprigged decoration of this example typically features revellers in an inn, including a figure of a man to the left of the handle smoking a pipe, who commonly occurs on tankards but rarely on puzzle jugs.

The jug has recently been attributed to Whitehaven, as it appears to match known examples of puzzle jugs and sherds found on the site in Cumbria. Saltglaze production in Whitehaven dates from at least the early Eighteenth Century.

Condition: No chips or cracks. Almost inevitably with a piece intended for use, the handle and spouts are prone to damage, and there has been professional restoration to an extremely high standard. The vents have been tested and the jug would still seem to be in working order.

Dimensions: Height 8 3/8" (21.3cm)

This puzzle jug would make a fantastic addition to any collection of fine English pottery.