I am always on the look out for advertising items from Dundee and Oban so I was very pleased to acquire this 4 lb. butter crock. I think it dates from about 1900 and though simple and plain I like the blue lettering and the two lines of impressed decoration that run around it.

It may seem an "old fashioned" way to buy butter when you can grab a prepacked pound off any grocer's shelf, but here in Toronto we have come full circle. If you attend one of the many weekend farmer's markets you can once again buy "farm produced" butter from large bulk containers.

Here's one I picked up a few years ago because it just seemed really cheap.

Cheers

Al.

Hey Al

An interesting and unique piece. Too bad about the little chip at the front but it would be easy to overlook that considering the great imagery. I don't think I have ever seen a handled mug like it. Long before I purposely set out to collect "old stuff" I had a small grouping of plain unmarked stoneware jugs and crocks. There isn't a lot of it here in Canada and it's so heavy that the postage from the UK is insane, so my collecting is limited. Anybody else got some interesting pieces?

Vlad

Okay then, I figure after 5 weeks nobody has any British stoneware items so here's a few more of my plain pieces.

I love the little merchant jugs. Does anybody know their purpose? The small Bathgate jug came from a garage sale on a Saturday morning and cost me a dollar or about 60 pence. The other 2 came off Ebay for quite a bit more.

The 2 big jugs are both from Cooper and Co. It is interesting to see the 2 shapes side by side.

Hi Vlad

Love that little ' Bathgate ' if you ever want to repatriate it !!

Sorry some are a bit shy with their  posting I think they are all glued to ebay ! Missed this posting first time round, so heres a few bits for you from a couple of my shelves.

Although no writing the little shoe is on of my all time favourite pieces

Lummox

Couple more pics

Great stuff Lummox. That shoe is really unique. Did it have a purpose or was it just decorative?

Find me a little foot warmer like the one you have and the Bathgate jug is yours.

Is the shoe moulded? That degree of detail you'd expect it to be! I've noticed quite a few miniature saltglaze shoes and boots coming up on Ebay in Australia, saying they were made by Australian potters! Do you know any history to your one?

Lummox

It was just an offer I threw out there as I was leaving the house for work. I didn't put much thought into it, though it does illustrate the problem with putting a value on items. If my jug was from Dundee instead of Bathgate I would be willing to pay quite a bit for it. If the address was one familiar to me I would be willing to pay even more. If the jug was from the ironmonger's shop that my grandfather worked in then the sky would be the limit. I would have no problem laying out a hundred or more pounds for that jug. Someone else might hesitate to spend a fiver. It wasn't my intention to put forth an unreasonable offer. My apologies.

Anyhow, swapping aside, if I decide to sell the jug I will set a price and let you know. If you decide to sell the footwarmer I would be interested.

Vlad

Found this jug on the weekend and thought it was pretty interesting. I am assuming that "self venting" would be like an early form of a pressure relief valve. Anybody have any other ideas.

Vlad

Thats a cracking flagon Vlad

Well done ! not one I've seen before

Lummox

I posted the two Doulton foot warmers with the Eaton's company insignia on the old forum. Yesterday while searching for stuff to sell at a show I am doing this weekend I discovered another foot warmer that I thought I had sold. It is slightly smaller than the Eaton's piece and has no merchant's name. Now I have to get my hands on a wee un' like Lummox posted.