Westerwald stoneware jug with cobalt blue decor – 18th c.

A charming Westerwald stoneware jug with handle, hand-thrown and fired with a salt glaze. Around the shoulder runs a freely painted band in cobalt blue with garlands and drops, with two blue lines on the neck. A typical piece of Rhenish stoneware from the 18th century. The loose, quick brushstroke reveals the potter’s hand; nothing is perfect, and that is exactly what makes it so lively. Jugs like this were used daily for centuries for genever, wine or water. That they are still so intact after all this time never ceases to amaze us. Beautiful in a wabi sabi, country or 17th-century Dutch interior. Place it on an oak table with a few branches, or group it with other stoneware and pewter on a mantelpiece. Condition: good for its age. A fine hairline crack runs horizontally through the blue decorative band on the body (see detail photo). Wear and small chips on the rim; the foot ring shows signs of use and a small chip. Handle intact.