Bellarmine Jug

 Late 16th century.

At this period, wines and beers were drawn from barrels into bottles of stoneware or leather. This type of stoneware bottle (salt-glazed) was made in the Netherlands and incorporated a stamped image of Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621).

This man was a bitter opponent of the Dutch Reformed Church and so it was common for Protestants wishing to insult him to smash the jugs!

These vessels were also frequently used as 'witch bottles'. This entailed filling the jug with certain articles, sealing it and burying it. This was done in order to deflect a witch's curse. Many of these witch bottles have been discovered.

Further reading : Merrifield, R.: 1987: The Archaeology of Ritual and Magic: Batsford