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What is this piece?

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Author	Topic: What is this piece?
chase33 Posts: 362 Registered: Feb 2008	posted 01-08-2012 10:58 AM Hey all, I hope everyone had a great holiday season! I'm hoping that someone can tell me about this piece. So far, I know it is a Birmingham piece made in 1892-1893 (if I got this wrong, let me know). It is a small "jug" without a pouring spout. It stands about 3 1/2" high, 2 1/2" wide. The lid is very tight-fitting and the inside is gold-washed. First guess is a container for a spice (i.e., mustard or pepper). The maker's mark is WG but I can't find to who that mark was registered. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Side View: Front View: Top View: Hallmarks on "jug": [ Lid: Robert IP: Logged
dragonflywink Posts: 993 Registered: Dec 2002	posted 01-08-2012 11:36 AM Guernsey (or Jersey) Cream Jug. ~Cheryl IP: Logged
chase33 Posts: 362 Registered: Feb 2008	posted 01-08-2012 12:05 PM Thanks Cheryl. I had ruled out a use for any liquids due to the lack of a pouring spout, the small size and the goldwash interior. After a quick search on Guernsey cream jugs, I see that the jug was made usually in copper without the spout in order to carry the cream from the barn to the table without spillage. Also learned that they became popular collectibles in the late 1890-1900's so I guess mine is a souvenir piece from that time (I suppose it could also have been used for a single serving). Thanks again. Its amazing what one piece of info can lead to you! Robert PS Anyone know that maker (WG)? IP: Logged
Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11573 Registered: Apr 93	posted 01-08-2012 12:14 PM IP: Logged
Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11573 Registered: Apr 93	posted 01-08-2012 12:41 PM quote: Traditional Copper Guernsey Milk Can The traditional copper Guernsey milk can has been made by craftsmen on the island for over 1000 years. The can was still in use in the first half of the 20th Century but today its function is purely decorative. The Island of Guernsey Guernsey is one of the Channel Islands situated in the Gulf of St. Malo about 30 miles from the Normandy coast of France and 80 miles from the south coast of England. It has a land area of approx. 24 square miles with a coast line of 45 miles. English is the official language, although a Norman-French patois is still spoken by some of the older population. Originally part of the French Duchy of Normandy, the Channel Islands became linked to the English Crown with the conquest of England by William, Duke of Normandy in 1066 AD. Today the islands are considered to be part of the British Isles but not of the United Kingdom. They are internally self-governing, making their own laws and establishing their own taxes. The Guernsey Can The Guernsey Can, the last surviving relic of Guernsey's Norman ancestry with a pedigree of nearly one thousand years, is the pride of every true Guernsey home, whether granite cottage, farmhouse, or manor of a feudal fief. It came over from Normandy in France with the original cattle in 980 AD. These cattle were the founders of the world-famous Guernsey Golden breed. The 'Froment du Leon' is the most prominent ancestor of the Guernsey Cow, and can still be seen in Brittany. According to the Norman chronicles, the Duke of Normandy sent monks from Mont St. Michel to Guernsey, and they brought the cattle with them. The can's shape permits the least loss by "slopping" of the precious milk, so rich in cream and colour. Guernsey's wedding gift to H.M. the Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, and Prince Philip, now Duke of Edinburgh, comprised a set of six, ranging from half-pint to three pints. They bore the seal of the Bailiwick of Guernsey which dates back to reign of Edward 1. Guernsey's wedding gift to the late Princess Margaret was a Gold Miniature Can. Illustrious visitors to Guernsey such as the late Princess Marina and Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery received these cans as gifts from the States of Guernsey and its people. The Guernsey Can is often used as a gift at many States of Guernsey sponsored events. IP: Logged
agphile Posts: 798 Registered: Apr 2008	posted 01-08-2012 01:28 PM I've had a hunt round my references but can't trace a Birmingham WG of the right date - my library mostly covers earlier periods. I was going to say something about these attractive cans or jugs but others have got there first and covered the ground much more fully than I might have done. IP: Logged
ahwt Posts: 2377 Registered: Mar 2003	posted 01-08-2012 11:36 PM An earlier thread (Tea pot) shows a similar pot. This one has a spout typical of ones from Jersey and has the arms of Jersey. IP: Logged
adelapt Posts: 418 Registered: May 2003	posted 01-09-2012 04:52 PM The maker's/sponsor's mark on your jug, "W.G" looks to be that of William Goss, who entered his mark at Birmingham in February 1882. He entered a somewhat different mark later that year too, but could well have used them concurrently. The source of this information is K. Crisp Jones, "Silversmiths of Birmingham and their Marks, 1750-1980" IP: Logged

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