Jug and cover in the form of an eagle. Earthenware covered with a tin glaze and painted in cobalt blue. Probably made by Lorenz Speckner in the Georg Vest workshop. German (Creussen), about 1615-25.

Given by Stuart G. Davis

This jug has the letters 'LS' painted in blue on the neck. It is widely accepted that these initials refer to the potter Lorenz Speckner. Speckner was born in 1598. He completed his master craftsman examination in 1620 after his three-year journeymanship. He took over the workshop of Georg Vest in 1621, the year he became a citizen of Creussen, and married Vest's widow. Vest was a producer of stoneware and this type of product continued to be made after Speckner took over. The few pieces of blue-painted tin-glazed ware which are attributed to Speckner are presumed to have been made in Creussen. This is presumed because it seems likely that Speckner trained under Vest in Creussen and was thus able to obtain citizenship and was in a good position to marry Vest's widow. However, there are no excavated pieces of this tin-glazed ware found in the area.

C.567&A-1922