Bartmann jug / Bellarmine 17th century in salt-glazed stoneware

Beautiful Bartmann / Bellarmine jug from the 17th century in salt-glazed stoneware, Germany. This is a very fine early example of a famous "Bartmann" / "Baardman" jug from "Bellarmine" - made in Germany in the first half of the 17th century. This piece of early 17th-century European salt-glazed stoneware is about 400 years old. It was likely made in the Cologne or Frechen region. The jug is decorated with a lovely, very detailed stamped design - featuring, of course, the bearded man at the top and a magnificent floral decoration on the belly of the jug. Both are very elegantly executed and coloured. These cobalt blue tones blend perfectly with the brown/yellow speckled colour of the salt-glazed slip layer that partially covers the grey stoneware. It is in very good condition with a chip on the upper rim - as visible in the photos.