Toby Jug
Toby-Jug (German Toby-Krug) is the name of salt-glazed ceramic jugs that are mainly found in the Anglo-Saxon culture. Probably the Toby Jug was first introduced in the 1760s during the potteries the English county of Staffordshire made. In the British pubs and taverns of the 18th and 19th centuries, draft beer was served with Toby-Jugs.
At the top there is always an opening for filling the jug , which in some versions is closed with a lid. There is a handle on the back.
The typical Toby-Jug has the shape of a seated, caricatured man in 18th century clothing, with a long coat and tricorn head covering. The front tip of the tricorn serves as a spout. The man is holding a beer mug in one hand and a pipe in the other.
The Toby-Jug probably got its name from the character of Toby Belch from the comedy What you want by William Shakespeare . He was after his niece's money to finance his binge drinking. In addition to this eponymous mug, many other characters were made in the 18th and early 19th centuries. There was Thinman, Squire, Heartly Goodfellow, Sailor, Man on Barrel, Lord Howe, Collier, Drunken Sal, Gin Woman, Snuff Taker, Jolly Miller, Nightwatchman and Martha Gunn.
The similar Character-Jug and Character-Mug differ from the typical Toby-Jug in that a complete standing or seated figure is not shown here, but only the head, the face or the head with parts of the shoulder of a fictional or caricatured figure known personality. The character mug is not a serving mug, but a drinking vessel . In common parlance, the term Toby-Jug has established itself for these vessels.
Toby jugs, character jugs and character mugs are still produced today in a variety of designs and are popular collectibles. A Toby Jug Museum was established in the American city of Evanston in 2005.
literature
- Stephen M. Mullins, David C. Fastenau: A Century of Royal Doulton Character & Toby Jugs . 2008, ISBN 978-0-7643-2973-9 .
- Stephen M. Mullins, David C. Fastenau: Toby and Character Jugs of the 20th Century and Their Makers . Kevin James Pub, 2000, ISBN 1-928938-01-9 .