Rare Antique William III Period Royal Portrait Westerwald Stoneware Jug Ca 1700”

Rare Late 17th Century Westerwald Salt-Glazed Stoneware Jug with Portrait Medallion of King William III

An exceptional and rare late 17th-century Westerwald salt-glazed stoneware portrait jug, produced in the renowned pottery region of Westerwald, Germany, circa 1690–1720, and made specifically for the British or Dutch export market.

The vessel is thrown from high-fired grey stoneware clay and displays the distinctive salt-glazed “orange peel” surface texture characteristic of the finest Westerwald production. The body features a striking manganese-purple ground, richly decorated with incised foliate and scrolling ornament highlighted with cobalt-blue detailing.

Prominently applied to the body is a finely molded cobalt-ground portrait medallion depicting King William III of England (William of Orange, reigned 1689–1702). The portrait shows the monarch wearing a crown and long periwig in the style of late 17th-century royal portraiture. Surrounding the portrait is a molded inscription in Latin reading:

“D G MAG BRIT FRAN ET HIB REX”

(By the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland),

a royal title used on the coinage of William III, from which such ceramic medallions were often derived.

The jug has a bulbous body with a tall reeded cylindrical neck and a single vertical loop handle attached at the rear. The interior remains unglazed, showing clear horizontal throwing rings, while the base is flat and unglazed, retaining the original wire-cut marks from the potter’s wheel.

Westerwald stoneware of this type was widely exported throughout Northern Europe and England during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, with portrait medallions celebrating monarchs being particularly desirable examples today.

This example survives in excellent antique condition with strong glaze, crisp molded decoration, and well-preserved portrait detail, making it a highly decorative and historically significant piece of early European stoneware.

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Measurements

Height: 18 cm

Width: 14 cm

Weight: 960 grams

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Origin

Westerwald region, Germany

Date

Circa 1690–1720

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Materials

Salt-glazed stoneware with cobalt and manganese decoration

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Condition

Very good antique condition consistent with age and use. Surface and glaze well preserved with minor firing irregularities typical of early Westerwald stoneware. Please study all the Pleasse send images.