‘The Suffolk Sow And The Oak‘ Harvest Jug

‘The Suffolk Sow And The Oak’ Harvest Jug From the Autumn '26 collection of Suffolk Harvest Jugs for The Merchant’s Table by artist Annabel Pearl. The female pig, truffle-hunted under oak trees since the days of the Roman Empire. In 1875, a trained truffle pig could cost up to 200 francs, an immense sum in the era. A skilled truffler could more than make up for this investment from the high price of truffles on the gourmet food market. The now extinct SUFFOLK PIG was a beautiful curly black beast with a sensitive snout and small perky ears and was created by Thomas Crisp of BUTLEY ABBEY in the 1850s. The historic woodlands of Suffolk hold many great oaks, most notably the medieval ANCIENT OAKS OF STAVERTON PARK, these trees are planted in a rare quincunx formation, and their trunks bear drawings of sailing vessels scratched into them by Napoleonic Sailors. Goldcrests, Oak Eggar, Oak Lutestring, Scalloped Oak and Oak Beauty moths all live among their leaves, along with squirrels and nightingales who live in and around these magical trees and Little Owls, known historically as Screech Owls in Suffolk, choose the strong wooden arms of the Suffolk Oak to make their home. Approximate Dimensions: Height 27.5cm, Diameter 23cm Part of the Autumn '26 collection of Suffolk Harvest Jugs by Annabel Pearl. Harvest jugs started to be made in the early eighteenth century as vessels to serve ale or cider in at the harvest celebrations, and these simple terracotta and slipware jugs bring a feeling of everyday joyful celebration into a home. As harvest jugs grew in popularity and became highly desirable their status grew. Soon they were being commissioned by aristocrats, farmers, and landowners to commemorate special occasions and became prized possessions in England and America. These handcrafted keepsakes rarely left the families they were made for and are now highly collectible as much for their beauty as for their importance as artefacts of social history. The harvest jugs Annabel made for The Merchant’s Table all honour both the imagery and ceramic techniques used by the Master Craftsmen family: George, Robert and Edwin Beer Fishley whose beautiful work can be found in The Fitzwilliam Museum. The decorative vitality of the Fishley harvest jugs is charming and soulful, and their rotund bellies abundantly express sentiments of love, joy and friendship. The Harvest Jug will be available for collection or delivery from the 12th October.