Unknown German
Jug

Public Domain

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Maker Unknown German

CultureGerman

Titles

Datec. 1660–1680

Made inFrechen, Germany, Europe

MediumSalt-glazed stoneware

Dimensions8 1/4 in. (21 cm)

Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, gift of Mr. and Mrs. David Stockwell

Object numberB.66.16

Current Location

Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens

Murphy Room

On view

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Department

Bayou Bend

Object Type

CERAMICS

DescriptionBartmann jugs are recognizable by their bearded mask, or Bartmaske, decoration and their pitted salt-glazed surface, caused by the density of the quartz-salt clay. These vessels were produced in Frechen, near Cologne, in present-day Germany and exported widely, including to England’s North American colonies, owing to their sturdy construction and large storage capacity. The bearded mask possibly represents the Wild Man, a Northern European folkloric figure. These bottles are alternatively known as “Bellarmine” after Cardinal Robert Bellarmino (1542–1621), a staunch opponent of Protestantism. They were produced as early as 1550, before the cardinal’s notability, so Protestant persons in Northern Europe and England likely made this association between the cardinal and mask in jest. These jugs were also decorated with armorial devices, both civic and personal. The rosette decoration on this jug, along with its stylized mask, indicates that it is a late example, produced towards the end of the 1600s.
Provenance[David Stockwell (1907–1996), Wilmington, Delaware]; given to Miss Ima Hogg, 1966; given to MFAH, 1966.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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