I did not know about puzzle jugs until I found this piece, but have since learned there is a long history of vessels like this--the earliest example British and dating back to the 1300s--with holes around the lip, designed to frustrate anyone who should try to pour or drink from them, and typically with text on the body of the vessel taunting someone to try. The incised text on this one reads: "Come gentlemen and try your skill / I'll hold a wager if you will / that you cannot drink your fill /without a single drop to spill." As a lover of things that have no other purpose than to amuse and delight, I think this is pretty great!
To me this one has a sort of southern folk art pottery flavor, but it is unsigned, and I would guess is most likely British and likely not especially old. The handle is hollow, and water flows through the spouts as well as the holes around the top; apparently there was a tavern trick to cover the holes around the top and drink from one of the spouts like a straw in order to win the bet. Anyway, a conversation piece for sure, and makes me want to keep an eye out for more of its kind; another sort of whimsy!
6 3/4" t x 6 3/8" across at handle, 5 3/8" in diameter. Excellent condition, no chips or cracks or other issues.
