Jug 1650 - 1660

This jug was created in Germany in the mid-17th century by Johann Schaper using faience and enamel. These decorative jugs were popular among the wealthy merchant classes as showpieces, demonstrating their owners' refined tastes and worldly knowledge. The imagery on the jug reflects the cultural interests of the time. Note the enameled scene depicting a classical landscape within a circular frame. This reflects the influence of the Renaissance and the rediscovery of classical antiquity. These images would have been circulating through printmaking, informing artisans such as Schaper. The jug’s ornament alluded to the owner's knowledge of art and the wider world, reinforcing their social status. The creation and appreciation of such objects were deeply intertwined with the social and economic structures of the time. Art historians consult probate inventories, guild records, and pattern books to understand the cultural life of the past. Studying this object tells us much about 17th-century European society and its values.