Small earthenware jug with a brown manganese speckled glaze. High relief applied leaves and hops with green glaze (apparently the pottery used the brass dust collected from pin manufacturing to create the green – which is a response to the copper within the brass). Wheel thrown country pottery. Simple strap handle with vertical incised line. Small pulled spout. Flat fully glazed base with large kiln firing scar which has partially obscurred and removed the hand incised potter’s mark. The mark is a large X with R on left S at top and W on right, with Rye below.
The mark is that of the Belle Vue Pottery, Rye, Sussex. Established in c.1868 by Frederick Mitchell and continued by his widow Caroline until 1896, then by his nephew Frederick Thomas Mitchell until his death in 1920. The S R W in the mark refers to ‘Sussex Rustic Ware’.
Pot ID: AP/1568
Dimensions: 124 mm high to top of rim.
Net Weight (grams): 168
Date: c.1870-1920.
Condition Report:
Three very small chips on rim and spout lip, plus six tiny glaze chips on the inside edge of rim. Base has a large kiln scar, plus glaze has run and been ground down (by the potter).
