Starkness is not a quality we immediately associate with the bulk of nineteenth-century British ceramic designs. When it occurs, the examples are memorable. This white stoneware jug, the body lightly glazed to protect it from stains, possesses a purity that could even appeal to the simplicity advocates of the early modern period.

The handsome "club" shape is completely unadorned, except for the applied grapevine or "fruiting" border circling the inward curve of the neck. The deep blue of this naturalistic relief adds additional starkness in contrast to the slightly greyish white of the stoneware. A bit of drama is provided by the clean, strong sweep of the slender, but prominent, applied handle.

An advantage for the contemporary collector: this very functional vessel could compliment any interior setting--plain or fancy.

We never tire of Wedgwood's "club" shape jugs, one of the most handsome designs for "useful" wares. This example is the "little brother" of a larger jug also available from seekers--identical except for a lid discreetly fitted into the neck of the larger example.

This smaller example must have added charm, without a trace of fussiness, to a mid-nineteenth century breakfast table or tray.