Why is Worcester mentioned so often?

Worcester appears in 30 of 112 titles, more than any other name. Fifteen of those are Royal Worcester and ten are earlier Worcester porcelain. The factory made cream jugs across the whole span the archive covers, from First Period sparrow-beak forms through to painted-fruit jugs of the mid 20th century. That gives it a longer run under this heading than any other maker.

What does sparrow beak mean on a cream jug?

It describes the spout: a small, sharp, triangular point rather than a rounded lip. It belongs to early English porcelain jug forms. In this archive it turns up on Worcester, Bow and Chinese famille rose examples, which is why it works as a shape term rather than a factory one.

How old are most of these jugs?

The dated field runs from 1750 to 1960. Twenty-six listings say only 18th Century and twenty-one only 19th Century, with a further handful labelled Georgian, Victorian or Regency. Only 30 of the 112 listings carry a clean year. Those that do cluster in the 20th century, where factory marks and silver hallmarks make a date straightforward to state. The earliest dated piece is Continental rather than English, set at 1750.

Are silver cream jugs common in this category?

Silver appears in 15 of 112 titles, so roughly an eighth of the heading. The sampled pieces run from a George III pedestal jug of 1767 and a bright-cut example of 1802 through Sheffield jugs of 1893, 1900 and 1913, to an Arts and Crafts jug dated 1920. Porcelain and pottery together account for a good deal more.

Do larger jugs get listed under this heading too?

Yes. Sauce boats, cream boats, ewers and bigger relief-moulded or stoneware jugs all appear alongside the small tea-table forms. The largest things sold under the heading are not cream jugs at all: an exhibition salt-glazed sprigged stoneware jug and a very large Oddfellows creamware jug, both near the top of the range.

How often do cream jugs come up for sale?

Only about ten a year are listed on Sellingantiques, so it is not a form you see in quantity. Spread thinly, too: 49 different dealers have offered one, meaning almost no dealer carries the form twice. Odd shapes appear once and nowhere else, among them a stoneware puzzle jug, a pouch jug, and an ice water jug made for hotel use.