Antique Samuel Johnson Ltd Bursley Ware Pewter-Lidded Jug (c.1893–1895)

Antique Samuel Johnson Ltd “Bursley Ware” Pewter-Lidded Jug (c.1893–1895)

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Maker: Samuel Johnson Ltd, Britannia Pottery, Burslem, Staffordshire, England

Backstamp: “BURSLEY WARE / BRITANNIA POTTERY / S. JOHNSON LTD / BURSLEM / ENGLAND / Rd No. 202336”

Date: c. 1893–1895

Material: Earthenware with transfer-printed and hand-enamelled decoration, pewter lid

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🌸 Design & Decoration

This fine Victorian ceramic jug features a pewter hinged lid and a richly coloured floral Imari-style pattern typical of the late 19th century.

The design combines bold orange-red blossoms, deep cobalt blues, and gilt details with hand-enamel highlights — a palette directly inspired by imported Japanese Imari porcelain that was highly fashionable in Victorian England.

The handle, glazed in a deep blue-black, is moulded with subtle sculptural flourishes and attached to a tall cylindrical body with a slightly flared lip. The pewter lid features a leaf-motif thumbpiece, reflecting the aesthetic sensibilities of the late Victorian era.

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⚒️ Maker Background – Samuel Johnson Ltd (Britannia Pottery)

Samuel Johnson Ltd operated from Britannia Pottery, Burslem, from around 1881 until 1915, producing high-quality domestic earthenwares.

They were known for Bursley Ware, a name later adopted and popularised by Wood & Sons (who acquired rights to several Staffordshire trade names).

Samuel Johnson’s pottery specialised in transfer-printed wares, often with Oriental and floral motifs, and in tablewares with pewter fittings for domestic and hotel use.

The design registration number 202336 was filed in 1893, confirming that this jug’s form and pattern date squarely to the late Victorian period.

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🫖 Function

This type of jug was used for hot water, beer, or ale, commonly found in homes and inns. The pewter lid served both a practical and hygienic purpose — keeping beverages warm and preventing contamination.

In Victorian parlance, this would have been called a “hot-water or ale jug” or “pewter-mounted earthenware jug.”

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⚜️ Notable Features

Registered Design No. 202336 (circa 1893)

Maker’s mark: Samuel Johnson Ltd, Britannia Pottery, Burslem

Floral Imari-inspired pattern with hand-enamel highlights

Deep cobalt handle and Britannia metal lid with decorative thumbpiece

Victorian crazing and mild age patina — expected in genuine 19th-century examples

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📏 Measurements

Height: approx. 22 cm

Diameter: approx. 11 cm

Capacity: about 1 litre

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💷 Collectability & Value

This is an authentic Victorian Staffordshire earthenware jug, over 130 years old, and a fine example of the period’s fascination with Japanese design translated into English domestic ware.

Such pewter-topped examples are increasingly sought after by collectors of Burslem pottery, Imari ware, and pub memorabilia.

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Condition premium: intact lid and vivid colour retention increase desirability significantly.

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🕰️ Historical Context

By the 1890s, Staffordshire potteries like Samuel Johnson Ltd were exporting worldwide. Their designs echoed the Aesthetic and Anglo-Japanese movements, which prized the fusion of Eastern pattern and Western form.

Pieces like this represented the Victorian ideal of “art in the everyday” — elegant, decorative household objects blending beauty and function.

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This jug, with its warm floral motifs and pewter craftsmanship, captures that aesthetic perfectly. It’s a tangible link to the age of decorative revival, industrial artistry, and the dawn of modern design.