
Rare Staffordshire pottery Toby jug and cover, English, circa 1840. Height: 6.5″. Sooky Goodfriend Gallery
The jovial jugs developed by 18th century potters in Staffordshire, England became popular in many countries around the world but often retained aspects of their very English aesthetic, usually featuring a rotund bon vivant in 18th century dress with his tri-corner hat forming the spout. The precise origin for the jug’s name is hard to trace but the most popular theory remains that potters found their inspiration in Shakespeare’s Sir Toby Belch of Twelfth Night. The finest and most prized works of the tradition are still considered to be those made in the Stafforshire potteries between the mid-18th to mid-19th centuries such as the particularly expressive and detailed jugs shown here (tobyjug.collecting.org). Sooky Goodfriend can be reached regarding these pieces here.