white Parian porcelain, relief-moulded with 'Gipsey' pattern, designed in 1842. Made by Samuel Alcock & Co., Burslem, Staffordshire.

‘Gipsey’ (sic) is a relief-moulded genre scene of a woodland Gypsy encampment including children and a dog. A cauldron is shown suspended from a tripod of tied poles, for cooking or heating water over an open fire.

Given by Peter Knight in memory of his grandfather, Ernest Basil Knight

Samuel Alcock (1799-1848) is no longer such a well-known name as some of his contemporaries like Minton, Copeland or Ridgway, but his factory (Samuel Alcock & Co. ca.1822-59) enjoyed similar commercial success in the 1840s. Alcock produced at least 27 different relief-moulded jug designs, with 'Gipsey' preceding the model numbering system . He exhibited figures, including chained greyhounds, and vases and jugs including the Nelson jug at the Great Exhibition of 1851, where he was awarded a prize medal. In the 1851 census, Alcock employed 687 staff (compared with Ridgway's 620), and had 20 ovens (on a par with Minton). Hill Pottery, Burslem was opened in 1840. The imposing frontage had steps leading to a portico with columns, urns and balustrading.

Samuel Alcock & Co. of Burslem published the design for the 'Gipsey' relief-moulded jug jointly with Jones & Walley of Cobridge in July 1842. It was produced in white Parian porcelain as well as in more durable stoneware. It was probably the earliest of Alcock’s Parian jug designs and was later produced in a lavender and white version. Made in a variety of sizes, the number ‘4’ on this jug denotes a three-pint jug (in the system of numbered sizes known as ‘potter’s count’. Size 24 was half a pint; '12' a pint, and '6' was two pints).

C.428-2017