Staffordshire, England, 18th century

Sotheby's, London, The Rous Lench Collection,1 July 1986, lot 122

Hugh Casson, Deanery Garden, World of Interiors, November 1987, p.214, illustrated in the Drawing Room

Some restoration to snout. Chip to end of tail. Haircrack to rim of cover, approx. 1 in length. Minor nicks around rims.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Stoneware bear jugs at first glance appear as charming curiosities; however they were produced in reference to the cruel yet popular 18^thcentury sport of bear baiting, a controversial sport which had been thriving in popularity since the early Elizabethan age.

In 1575 the writer Robert Laneham wrote of one baiting scene:

"It was a sport very pleasant to see, to see the bear, with his pink eyes, tearing after his enemies approach... and when he was loose to shake his ears twice or thrice with the blood and the slaver hanging about his physiognomy."

Examples depicting bears with chained collars and nose rings are known, others holding miniature dogs in their paws were also produced. By the early 19^th century it was becoming increasingly expensive to import bears; however it was not until 1835, when a bill introduced by South Durham MP Joseph Pease that bear baiting was formally banned by Parliament in the Cruelty to Animals Act.

These jugs were not intended to have a specific purpose and were in fact multi-functional. They were probably used as ale jugs, the detachable heads ideally serving as a cup with a snout handle to pour the contents of the jug into. Examples where bears stand hunched over on four feet resting on their rumps seem likely to be used as tobacco jars, otherwise they could be used as posset pots or simply as ornaments. The most common method of decorating jugs of this type, to create a roughened texture of bear’s fur was to add the potter’s waste sometimes named, slaw, grog.

This jug is unusual for the rouletted finish of its body rather than the ‘potter’s waste’ decoration typically associated with saltglaze bear jugs.

A related example holding a small dog rather than a plate and without brown spotted marks from the Glaisher collection was bequeathed to the Fitzwilliam Museum in 1928, Cambridge, object number: C.498 & A-1928. A miniature saltglaze bear pot and cover decorated in this manner was sold at Sotheby’s, 25 November 1997, lot 185. A further example is in The Chipstone Foundation, Wisconsin, USA.