Superb and Rare German salt glaze stoneware BELLARMINE JUG, Frechen, DATED 1600

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Superb and Rare German salt glaze stoneware BELLARMINE JUG, Frechen, DATED 1600:
$510.00

An extremely rare and beautiful fat belly saltglazed stoneware Bellarmine wine jug bearing the armorial of a merchant shipowner with the initials ‘E. B.\' and dated for the year 1600; Germany, Frechen, dated 1600.

The extensive trade in Frechen Bellarmines in the years either side of 1600 was dominated by a cartel of Dutch merchants and ship owners, many of whom lived in Frechen. They dominated the trade in a variety of related commodities including stonewares and wine with, on the one hand, a number of Dutch towns and cities and, on the other, the cross-Channel trade with England and, beyond that, the American Colonies. The result of all this activity is the extensive presence of Dutch-traded German stonewares in 17th century America (see Janine Skerry and Suzanne Hood,Salt Glazed Stoneware in Early America, Colonial Williamsburg, 2009, pp. 20-21).

This beautiful bottle / jug bears the medallion of an individual who was probably one of this group of Dutch merchants with the initials‘E. B.\' and an emblem or motto resembling a reverse number 4. The general design ofthe medallion is similar to one on a bottle illustrated in Skerry and Hood, op. cit., p. 23. Our Bellarmine has a very fine moldedmask on the neck. It may have been the presence of these masks that led to the bottles being used to ward off witches and witch spells (for a verysimilar mask illustrated on a Bellarmine in Skerry and Hood see ioffer., p. 17). Today, Bellarmines are certainly appropriate decorative accessories for antique furniture because they were an article of daily use in Colonial America.

This bulbous jug is delightful in form and measures approximately 7 1/2 inches in height. We bought it in a restored condition and we do not have a preciseidea of the condition of the jug before it was restored. It looks as if 15 - 25 % of the surface area of the jug is restored but ithas been very sympathetically done (see photos). Having the very early date and this incredible link with the early history of Americamakes this a desirable item and we think that it will be of great interest to collectors, dealers and historians.

A chance to own a dated Bellarmine doesn’t happen often so .... Good luck with your offer!