Sunderland Pink Splash Lustre Masonic Jug, English Earthenware, C.1820-1840

An early 19th-century English Sunderland pink splash-lustre earthenware Masonic jug, produced at one of the specialised potteries in the Sunderland region of north-east England, circa 1820-1840.

The exterior is decorated with characteristic mottled pink and copper-metallic splash-lustre borders framing two large black transfer-printed Masonic cartouches. One panel carries the Masonic hymn Hail! MASONRY divine!, enclosed by a wreath of roses, thistles and Masonic working tools. Above are the All-Seeing Eye and a Blazing Star containing the letter G. The verse is a traditional Masonic ode celebrating the enduring ideals and public standing of the Craft.

The reverse panel is printed with a detailed Masonic engraving incorporating cosmological and symbolic imagery. At its centre, a seated Master Mason, or architect, dressed in period attire holds an open architectural plan beside a heraldic shield. Charged with a chevron and three castles, the shield reproduces the historic arms of the medieval Masons' Company of London, granted in 1472. Above the figure are a beehive and a radiant Sun, flanked by the Great Pillars, Jachin and Boaz, surmounted by terrestrial and celestial globes, together with the Moon and seven stars. Further Masonic working tools are arranged across a chequered pavement. A ribbon at the base bears the Latin motto SIT LUX ET LUX FUIT, "Let there be light, and there was light". Together, these symbols refer to the Temple of Solomon and its moral imagery: light and knowledge, industriousness, upright conduct, and the dualities of human life.

The interior is fully lined in rich golden-pink copper lustre, retaining a reflective metallic finish across the inner base. The flat underside is likewise fully covered in matching pink splash lustre rather than left in plain white earthenware, a desirable premium variant of this period production. The centre of the base retains a small black collection inventory label numbered 174. The jug formed part of a large private collection assembled over many years by an English gentleman.

Dimensions: height 13.5 cm; width 16 cm; diameter 13 cm; weight 503 g. Condition: excellent antique condition. No cracks, restoration or paint loss. Only fine overall age-related glaze crazing, entirely consistent with its age. UV checked. Please study the accompanying photographs carefully as they form an integral part of this description. If you have any questions, we will be happy to answer them. The item will be shipped with full tracking and insurance. Shipping costs include handling, packaging and postage.