Cottage farmhouse style jug depicting a charming family of farmyard pigs

A charming medium sized jug depicting a farmyard scene of a family of pigs. The jug is stamped made in England.

This pretty jug holds just under a pint (530ml) and could be used as a small vase or as a jug for milk or cream. It looks so pretty it would be great just as decoration when not in use. The maker is not known for certain, however there is a stamp on the base that could be attributed to Artone, a small pottery based in Burslem, Staffordshire, England up until the late 1970's.

Although not very clear in the photographs the jug tapers in shape slightly from wider at the base to narrower at the top and features a printed farmyard scene of a pig family on one side and is plain on the other side.

It has been hand painted with a bright green rim around the base and the top and then finished with a sponge ware type decoration on the interior top of the jug and the back of the handle. It is a very pretty jug that is a good practical size to use and store.

Overall the jug is in very good condition with no damage or crazing, with the exception of a small area beneath the pouring lip of the spout where the hand painted green rim has flaked off a piece of paint. There is no structural damage to the jug beneath this and if desired it would be an easy repair to add a touch of green paint to the area to disguise this. I think the missing flake of paint adds to the slightly rustic nature of the piece.

The jug measures approximately 14cm in height and has a diameter of 9cm across the base. At the top of the jug the mouth measures about 8.8cm from the tip of the pouring lip to the back of the mouth, and 12 cm wide including the pouring lip and the handle across the top.