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Caption

  • The front of an intricate medieval puzzle jug. Small figurines are set into the neck and the spout is shaped like a long-necked animal.
  • Left side of an intricate medieval puzzle jug. Small figurines are set in the neck and the spout is shaped like an animal.
  • The neck of an intricate medieval puzzle jug, with a cut-out revealing a figure inside the jug's neck.
  • Inside the neck of an intricate medieval puzzle jug, viewed through a cut-out. A figurine is visible looking out of the cut-out.

Exeter puzzle jug

1300

Pottery, saintonge

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Description

Puzzle jugs were popular types of playful pottery in the 18th and 19th centuries. They were designed to trick an unsuspecting drinker into spilling liquid on themselves. The Exeter puzzle jug dates back to the medieval period, making it much older. It is one of the earliest puzzle jugs discovered in England.

The jug was made in Saintonge, France around 1300. It was discovered in pieces in 1899 during building works at the junction of Bear Street and South Street in Exeter. The jug was donated to RAMM and restored by the British Museum in the 1930s.

Inside the jug, you can see two naked bishops holding croziers. It is a caricature of the medieval church, perhaps a symbol of rebellious attitudes towards the church, or of Exeter’s sophisticated European tastes and trading links. Nevertheless, it shows how important the church was in everyday life at the time, even as the butt of a joke.

Visual description: The jug has a long neck with cut-out openings and a large handle that stretches from the top of the neck to the base. The spout of the jug is an animal with a long neck and pointed ears, with its mouth as the opening for liquid to come out of.

The spout's neck is decorated with stripes and the rest of the jug is decorated with leafy floral patterns and crests. The body of the jug shows a tower, in which there are two naked bishops holding croziers. Young women lean out of the windows and musicians play below.

RAMM Treasures Trail - Object 13 - Puzzle jug

Learn about the 13th object in our RAMM Treasures of the Museum trail, the Exeter puzzle jug.

Treasures of the Museum: Exeter Puzzle Jug

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Transcript

Ann Lotinga: I'm Ann Lotinga and I'm a volunteer here at RAMM.

One of my favourite objects at RAMM is the Exeter puzzle jug.

A puzzle jug works on lots of different levels. The first big issue about it is how do I get the liquid safely into it? But the other really important thing is how do I get the liquid out of it? How do I pour it? How do I drink from it without actually spilling it all over myself?

It has, on the outside, some figures of musicians. The really knockout thing is the fact that there are two bishops holding their croziers inside the sort of open neck of the jug, and they are naked. So what we're actually looking at is quite a caricature of the medieval church.

Because I'm interested in medieval history, and interested, particularly, in how people thought, it just makes me think about all the different ways that, actually, people did think about the church and did think about life. People were actually just as critical then and made just as much fun of some of the behaviour of others in society as we do now.

Credits

Watch RAMM staff and volunteers tell us why they love each of the 16 objects, and hear the fascinating stories that make these items so special.

Additional Information

Dimensions
465 x 290 x 225 mm
Accession Number
1899/10/1

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