Featured in Rouen and Nevers, Normandy
In Normandy (the north of France), you will find the city of Rouen, with its famous High Gothic Notre-Dame Cathedral. This historic place is also home to a great deal of art and culture, ranging from the ancient Roman ruins to the modern art galleries.
Throughout the centuries, faience and earthenware jugs have been produced in this region, with the main centre of production being Nevers, whose faience wares were first made by immigrants from Italy, then influenced by Chinese porcelain.
There is a range of different jugs, but one of the most iconic is the normandyjug, a gourd-shaped jug in red earthenware with applied and incised decoration and traces of a brown glaze. The jug has a loop handle and is ‘thumbed’ all around the base.
This particular jug was discovered in Cardiff High Street in 1893, and is now in the National Museums Wales collections. The decoration includes birds, masks and heraldic shields, all features that are common on jugs from Saintonge potteries in Wales.