J Stiff Harvest ware jug given as fire fighting prize 1881

Description

J Stiff Harvest ware jug given as fire fighting prize 18811. Item 4683.This salt glazed J Stiff Harvest ware jug was awarded to J W Dore, a member of the Chiswick Volunteer Fire Brigade in 1881. The inscription on the pewter mount reads “Chiswick Volunteer Fire Brigade 1881 First Prize Hydrant Drill J W Dore”. J W Dore died in 1904, aged 47, apparently still active in the Chiswick Brigade, so he would have been around 24 when he won this trophy. The jug is unmarked, but several of the sprigs that adorn the jug that are known to be unique to J Stiff’s London Pottery in Lambeth, including the sprig at the base of the handle. The sprigs are made when clay is pressed into a very shallow mould, gently teased out, and then carefully applied by hand to the body of the jug, before the piece is fired and glazed. The jug stands 186 mm (7.25 inches) high and has a diameter of 151 mm (6 inches). It is in very good condition.