Lot 60: An English Provincial Lead-Glazed Earthenware Puzzle Jug Inscribed James Simpson 1841

A mid-19th-century English provincial puzzle jug of lead-glazed earthenware construction. The vessel features a globular body surmounted by a wide neck with a lattice-work of circular perforations. Three projecting tubular spouts are connected to a hollow rim and handle system. The body is hand-painted in a folk-art style with floral swags and garlands in a palette of iron red, cobalt blue, and green. The spouts and rim are decorated with blue and red dotted patterns. A hand-painted cursive inscription on the side of the body reads James Simpson 1841. The underside of the base is unmarked with an uneven glaze and areas of discolouration.