# Odd Jug I have not been able to find out much about



## Codozalator (Jun 11, 2020)

Thanks much for the membership. 

It seems to me I may have posted this on this site a long time ago, but I have attached photos of a strange jug that has been in the family for decades.  If anyone knows for sure what it is, how old, possible worth, etc. please feel free to comment.  
There are NO markings as far as names, maker's marks, etc.    Just little snake-like squiggly and fern-like figures and so on.   It is made out of some sort of pottery similar to crockware, but I am not sure if it is crock or not.  May be some other type of stoneware. 
I heard a while back it may have been a hot water jug that people filled with hot water and carried with them on horse-drawn carriages and wagons way back in the day to keep warm. 
Years back, my father and I, took this to an antique roadshow-type event they held in my area.  The "experts" knew nothing about it and had no idea.    My father found this in an old barn way back in the 40s. An old man he was working for gave it to him.  My father is gone now, but I still have this jug.  It has literally been around all my life and has always been a curiosity to everyone.    Thanks for looking.  I hope you find it as interesting as I do.


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## coreya (Jun 11, 2020)

Neat jug, looks like it might be to fragile for the horse story but who knows, never seen one like it.


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## Codozalator (Jun 11, 2020)

That's a good point.  Yes...it is indeed fragile for carrying on a wagon as a warmer of some sort. 
I was also told it may have been a ceremonial wedding jug.   The larger spout for the groom and the smaller for the bride.  I don't know.  I have never found anything definitive about it...just conjecture.  
And why the football shape?.  Odd indeed.
I mean I have had this thing all over the place and no one...I mean NO ONE...knows jack about it!.  Dangdest thing I ever saw.   Even in this age of internet...nothing?.   No one in the known Universe has any idea what this is or what dimension it came from.


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Jun 11, 2020)

Codozalator said:


> That's a good point.  Yes...it is indeed fragile for carrying on a wagon as a warmer of some sort.
> I was also told it may have been a ceremonial wedding jug.   The larger spout for the groom and the smaller for the bride.  I don't know.  I have never found anything definitive about it...just conjecture.
> And why the football shape?.  Odd indeed.
> I mean I have had this thing all over the place and no one...I mean NO ONE...knows jack about it!.  Dangdest thing I ever saw.   Even in this age of internet...nothing?.   No one in the known Universe has any idea what this is or what dimension it came from.


Indian wedding vase I am thinking. I have a harvest jug that has the same bisque matte finish. Your is obviously much more ornate. I love it! 
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## Codozalator (Jun 11, 2020)

Wow...that's cool.  It is the most similar thing I have seen thus far.  How old is it?. 
By Indian do you mean American or India?.  American Indian?.  You mean they made stuff as ornate and detailed as this?.  I did not know that.   All I have ever seen from Indian artifacts are stone arrowheads and so forth.  Or do you mean from India?.  If so, that would be a mystery as to why it would be in an old rural Pennsylvania barn.


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Jun 11, 2020)

Codozalator said:


> Wow...that's cool.  It is the most similar thing I have seen thus far.  How old is it?.
> By Indian do you mean American or India?.  American Indian?.  You mean they made stuff as ornate and detailed as this?.  I did not know that.   All I have ever seen from Indian artifacts are stone arrowheads and so forth.  Or do you mean from India?.  If so, that would be a mystery as to why it would be in an old rural Pennsylvania barn.


I do mean American Navajo indian. Your has a handle I have seen used but it is not your typical wedding vase shape though and that is what bothers me about my identification. I have see some but none the football shape your is. Also indian wedding vase are usually colorful.  Could it be amish in origin? It sure is a beautiful mystery. I put a couple of my friend on the hunt for any information they can find. They have been very good in the past. Who knows. I really want to help you solve this.
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## Codozalator (Jun 11, 2020)

Thanks much.  It's fun trying to figure out, huh?. 
I hail from southwestern Pa. near the Mason-Dixon line.  The area is typical Appalachia and was settled by Scots-Irish and German settlers, so it could be related to Amish.


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Jun 11, 2020)

Codozalator said:


> Thanks much.  It's fun trying to figure out, huh?.
> I hail from southwestern Pa. near the Mason-Dixon line.  The area is typical Appalachia and was settled by Scots-Irish and German settlers, so it could be related to Amish.


First friend does not know. Only one strike I am not out yet! Have more experts trying to identify as we text. It could take a while for this person to get back to me. I will let you know what they come up with. I told them the wagon water vessel hypothesis. Southwestern PA. Is that where this barn is located? How much does the jug weigh? Is the item stoneware. It would be a light to dark grey or chocolate brown in color. Also are there any marking anywhere on it?
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Jun 11, 2020)

One more question, what are the dimensions of your jug?
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## Codozalator (Jun 11, 2020)

Yes, southern Pa. is where the barn is...it's still there.
I just measured it for the first time...interesting...it is 13 inches from tip to tip across the "football" and 13 inches tall from base to top of handle.   Very close anyway.
It weighs 4 pounds 8 ounces.

No markings at all when it comes to names, maker's marks, and so on.

It just has those neat little snakes and frowns all over it.

It's white and it looks to me to be made out of clay or a terra cotta material more than stoneware or crock.   The funny swirls and dots all over it are strange.  Do they have meaning or are they just abstract decoration?.   It looks Meso-American or Pre-Columbian or from some other ancient civilization.  The big spout side has different decoration than the little spout side.  Meaning?.    Two frowns parallel on the little spout and one large diagonal frown on the larger spout.   Are those squiggles represent snakes?.  Looks like it but I'm not sure.


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## ROBBYBOBBY64 (Jun 12, 2020)

Codozalator said:


> Yes, southern Pa. is where the barn is...it's still there.
> I just measured it for the first time...interesting...it is 13 inches from tip to tip across the "football" and 13 inches tall from base to top of handle.   Very close anyway.
> It weighs 4 pounds 8 ounces.
> 
> ...


Thanks, I will relay this information and new images. I have to say, it looks like it was never used. If it was maybe just water as you said in a previous post.
ROBBYBOBBY64.


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## rich (Jun 18, 2020)

OK,  $.02...Diane and I picked up a ceramic fired vessel in Portugal back in 1980 at a local market.  It had the larger opening to fill and cork, with the smaller nipple to pour from into one's mouth.  I imagine it could be filled with some sort of alcohol to "disinfect" but was primarily used for water.  Your football shape makes me think of the ease to lift and pour, ours was hourglass shaped with the bottom 3x larger than the top.  Ring handle on the top as yours.  About 13" tall with a 10" diameter. The glazing on ours was painted with blues and reds on a creamy yellow base.


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## Jamdam (Jun 19, 2020)

So, I’m also going to ask a couple of archeologists I work with but am pretty sure this is not American Indian pottery. I’ve seen a lot and this is too well done with decorations not typical in any vessels made by prehistoric people like American Indians. Just to be clear, the native Americans like the Pueblo and especially the Caddo made spectacular pottery in a lot of varieties and forms including effigy pots.  My guess is early Dutch settler made as decorations look a lot like examples on Dutch chests. I’ll let you know what my friends say.


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## Codozalator (Jun 20, 2020)

Thanks for your interest and persistence.  I, too, doubt it is American Indian pottery, but more likely Pa. Dutch. 
Pa. Dutch, which is really German, decent would make more sense as this area was settled by those folks.    Classic rural Appalachian foothills. Scot-Irish, German, some English.   Names once popular in this area were Imes, Perdew, Lashley, Wertz, Bennett, Swartzwelder, Beck, et, al.    
As can be seen, many are German names.   The jug actually came out of a barn owned by a gentleman by the surname Ash.    Ergo, your "Dutch" assessment would make sense.  I am anxious if there would be someone out there in this Universe that actually knows about this oddity.  I have never run into an item so unknown and obscure.


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## Jamdam (Jun 20, 2020)

I’ve been looking at a lot of Pennsylvania Dutch folk art chests, baskets, and boxes and am more convinced this jug uses similar iconography but simple compared to most of their work. They used flowing vines, flowers, and other natural images on everything. I attached a typical example. The similarities with your piece seems to me to be the flowing plant-like nature of some the engravings. I may be way off here but best I have for now. Archaeologists confirm not traditional Native American pottery. They pointed out the even coloration which points toward a temperature controlled kiln and not a traditional fire cured pot. Also the tooled lips and near perfect symmetry point towards more sophisticated manufacturing. See what you think about any stylistic similarities




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