Monday 7 July 2014

That pencil pot


It was noticed recently that the pot in my drawing above has its handle on the side. I've owned this antique jug for so long, that I'd forgotten how odd this may appear.


My only explanation is that it was originally used to heat some liquid (milk maybe?) against a fire, thus leaving the handle cool enough to grasp.


What I am sure of is that all such jugs are the same, having one scorched side and one non-scorched side (where the handle is), suggesting that my theory is correct (not sure if this is very clear in the pic). But why would anyone want to heat milk, or any other liquid, in a jug?

If you have any further theories, they would be appreciated.

12 comments:

  1. It could have been a 'second' where the potter put the handle in the wrong place, maybe.

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  2. The jug may be flawed but it has reached perfection in your drawing. Nicely done!

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  3. Wow you're really good at drawing! Nice pic.

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  4. The handle on the side would make sense if the liquid in the jug was going to be poured into a receptacle being held in the left hand, and not just sitting on a table. It's a two-handed arrangement.

    What puzzles me is how those mushrooms were able to float around it.

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    Replies
    1. He was hallucinating at the time of the drawing, as was the potter when he made the jug.

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    2. You score two out of two Rachel.

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  5. I think it just made pouring easier ….. those china feeder cups always have the handle on the side.
    Aren't pencils lovely ….. they have a special smell. !! I have lots left from my arty days XXXX

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    1. They are nice; but it was only when I took the above pix that I realised it.

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  6. Maybe you heated the jug then poured the warm contents in or maybe the jug was to hold mulled wine which by its very nature is warm? Very intriguing and what a lovely jug... I collect jugs so am very envious!

    Jo in Auckland, NZ

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    Replies
    1. Wine sounds like a possibility. I really must make enquiries.

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    2. It is horribly foggy outside this morning...
      I'm going with the mulled wine theory!!

      I keep my brushes in a similar jug...
      but my watercolour pencils stay in their homemade roll...
      until I want to use them...
      then they transfer to an old brick that I found on our allotment...
      it has around 90 holes in it...
      and they are just the right size to hold a pencil.
      So I glued it to a nice bit of strawboard and stuck some self-adhesive baize on that...
      It is easy enough to slide around on the workspace...
      but stable enough to stay put.
      It also holds my small brushes that vanish in the jug....
      they lived originally in a smaller version...
      until one of the cats decided that it seemed a good plaything...
      the bits ended up as crocks under a houseplant.
      The brushes transferred to the brick and stayed there...

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