These were the plastic bottles of their day, turning up very frequently now in archaeological digs (including at the Curtain playhouse, e.g.) and on mudlarking expeditions. Middling men and women would own, encounter, inherit, and purchase jugs decorated with faces like these. These so-called Bartmann or Bellarmine jugs originated in the Rhineland in Germany, from whence they were used to transport liquids across the sea in ships (they also show up frequently in shipwrecks). Characterised by their bearded face and distinctive shape, once they arrived in England, they were used to store foodstuffs, wine, or other liquids. This kind of vessel would therefore have been a familiar sight to almost every individual in the country, although the middling sort are likely have owned them in larger numbers than their less wealthy peers, because they were able to produce and store liquids in larger quantities for future consumption. Such items were broadly known in England as “Cologne ware,” indicating a connection between this everyday object and their (vague) location on the continent. <br /> <br /> Throughout the 1500s and 1600s, German stonewares furnished English households and inns with jugs, pots, jars, and other items—direct from the source or through copy-cat workshops. The daily experience of our middling sort, particularly surrounding food and drink, is therefore deeply ingrained with European manufacture and design. <br /> <br /> The iconographic significance of the bearded “wild-man” face on this jug emphasises northern European folk roots. One of the names by which these jugs are now known, “Bellarmine,” refers to the French inquisitor Robert Bellarmine, who persecuted protestants, and they therefore also carry with them a religious significance that imbues the everyday uses of these vessels with religious iconography.
Bartmann jug (Bartmannkrug), 1601-1625

Back to Mobility Collection icon

Bartmann jug

Bartmann jug (Bartmannkrug), 1601-1625

These were the plastic bottles of their day, turning up very frequently now in archaeological digs (including at the Curtain playhouse, e.g.) and on mudlarking expeditions. Middling men and women would own, encounter, inherit, and purchase jugs decorated with faces like these. These so-called Bartmann or Bellarmine jugs originated in the Rhineland in Germany, from whence they were used to transport liquids across the sea in ships (they also show up frequently in shipwrecks). Characterised by their bearded face and distinctive shape, once they arrived in England, they were used to store foodstuffs, wine, or other liquids. This kind of vessel would therefore have been a familiar sight to almost every individual in the country, although the middling sort are likely have owned them in larger numbers than their less wealthy peers, because they were able to produce and store liquids in larger quantities for future consumption. Such items were broadly known in England as “Cologne ware,” indicating a connection between this everyday object and their (vague) location on the continent.

Throughout the 1500s and 1600s, German stonewares furnished English households and inns with jugs, pots, jars, and other items—direct from the source or through copy-cat workshops. The daily experience of our middling sort, particularly surrounding food and drink, is therefore deeply ingrained with European manufacture and design.

The iconographic significance of the bearded “wild-man” face on this jug emphasises northern European folk roots. One of the names by which these jugs are now known, “Bellarmine,” refers to the French inquisitor Robert Bellarmine, who persecuted protestants, and they therefore also carry with them a religious significance that imbues the everyday uses of these vessels with religious iconography.

This object appears in our memory parlour and web tour. Can you find it?

Object Type Bartmannkrug
Year 1601-1625
Material Ceramic, stoneware
Owned By SBT 2004-50/1
Keywords socialising; consuming; producing; craftsmanship; consumption; mobility; importing; trade and exchange; stoneware; ceramics; tableware; food/drink
Image Credit Bartmannkrug (1601-25); ceramic, stoneware. SBT 2004-50/1, CC-BY-NC-ND; Image Courtesy of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Back to Mobility Collection icon