What is a frog mug used for?

A frog mug served as a drinking vessel for ale or beer designed to play a practical joke on the drinker. As the liquid drained, a moulded ceramic frog would appear near the bottom. These novelty mugs were popular in taverns during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Some examples also included hidden newts or spitting mechanisms to amuse companions.

How do I tell stoneware from earthenware?

Stoneware is fired at much higher temperatures until the clay vitrifies and becomes completely non-porous, even without a glaze. Earthenware remains more porous and requires a surface glaze to hold liquids effectively. In practical terms, antique stoneware tankards feel heavier, denser, and more resilient than standard earthenware mugs.

What is a loving cup?

A loving cup is a large drinking vessel traditionally fitted with two or more handles so it could be held by multiple people. They were passed among guests at banquets, weddings, and community gatherings. Many surviving examples are commemorative pieces decorated for royal jubilees or local events using pearlware or transfer-printed earthenware.

Why do some tankards have metal lids?

Metal lids made of pewter or silverplate were added to keep insects and debris out of ale and beer. They also helped contain the frothy head of the beverage during communal drinking. These fitted lids are frequently found on eighteenth-century German and Dutch vessels as well as British jugs from the Georgian period.

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Antique Pottery Tankard

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An antique pottery tankard brings heavy earthenware and stoneware drinking vessels into daily service, prized for their stout handles and tactile glazes.