Tin-glazed earthenware painted in blue, blue-green and manganese with relief decoration of an angel playing a lute and the incised date '1666'. Swiss (Canton Berne), 1666.

Puzzle jug of tin-glazed earthenware, painted in blue, blue-green and manganese with relief decoration of an angel playing a lute and the incised date '1666'

Bought

From the Bandinel Collection.
At the time of acqusition this puzzle jug was considered to be Dutch. Subsequently attributed as Swiss or German and then just Swiss.
Dr. E.W. Braun of the Germanisches National Museum in Nuremberg, 1956, thought this jug to be of Swiss manufacture.

(30 March 2012) Email correspondence from Dr. Andreas Heege, Im Rotel 3, CH 6300 Zug:
Museum Number: 3060-1853
Yes, this piece is of Swiss origin, it belongs to a small group of vessels with a date range (until now) from 1669 til 1728. Your piece is the oldest known dated example. The known specimen are to be found in nearly all swiss museums with a concentration in the cantone of Berne. Archäological finds of this ware are known from Berne itself (dated layers 1700-1740) and from a glasswork in the Bernese Jura (Court-Chaluet, producing 1699-1714). The place of production of this ware is still unknown, it may be Biel/Bienne or in the bernese Jura (Cremines or vicinity?).

Similar examples have been excavated in Berne.

3060-1853