Images(3)

D2008-CMD. Drinking jug. Detail to show medallion

Jug

Dateca. 1660

OriginEurope, Germany, Frechen

MediumBrown salt-glazed stoneware

DimensionsOverall: 8 9/16 x 5 x 4 7/8in. (21.7 x 12.7 x 12.4cm)

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1967-477

DescriptionMug of globular body with long cylindrical neck, loop handle and small spreading foot; stamped with pad of anchor below monogram "PVA"; dipped in iron before firing causing heavy "orange peel" or "tiger ware" look. The seal is of Pieter van den Ancker.Label TextA rebus is composed of pictures or symbols that sound like a name or word. Thus, a drawing of a ship and a man would be a rebus for the name Shipman. Rebuses were a popular means of communicating names in the period when few people could read. They were used on shop signs and even on stoneware. Pieter van den Ancker was a Dutch trader in Rhenish stoneware. The medallion on this mug uses an anchor and his combined initials as a rebus for his name, which was Dutch for Peter of the anchor.

Early drinking mugs are characterized by globular bodies with cylindrical necks. Over time, the shape of these drinking vessels gradually evolved, resulting in a slightly tapered conical neck and an ovoid body. This drinking mug (1967-477) is a rare marked specimen that exhibits these later characteristics. The mug’s circa 1660s date is confirmed by its medallion bearing the rebus of Pieter van den Ancker’s initials and an anchor.Mark(s)Seal of Pieter van den AnckerProvenancePurchased from Shepherd's Arcade, London