Lot 238
ENGLISH DELFTWARE BLUE AND WHITE PUZZLE JUG
PROBABLY LIVERPOOL,CIRCA 1760
Auction: Day One: 14 March 2012 From 10am
Description
pierced baluster form, inscribed 'Here Gentlemen Come try y'r skill/ Ile hold a wager if you will/ That you Don't Drink this liq'r all/ Without you spill or let some Fall'
18cm high
Note:Puzzle jugs have long been popular in homes and taverns. The greatest period of usage was during the 18th and 19th centuries when some of the best pieces were made. The method of tackling the conundrum is different with each type of vessel. The verses written on puzzle jugs are a distinctive feature. These vary but are usually composed of four lines offering the same challenge - how to drink the liquid inside without spilling it. The secret to successfully drinking from the jug is to solve the mystery of the puzzle.
An 1879 press cutting about the house mentions this jug and notes that: "The jug is very old, as its look alone would tell. 'I did not buy it, nor did my father either' says the Captain [William Fordyce Blair]."