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It's glazed ceramic, tan and brown. There's no handle. It's about 21" tall and about 10" diameter. It's quite heavy. The sides are straight up and down.

Thank you.

enter image description here

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    Jug is the most generic term, though carboy is probably better for one of that size. And there are several other terms that don't come to mind just now. (I would guess that this one was made for the manufacture of wine or some other fermented beverage, and there may be term in the brewer's craft for it.) – Hot Licks May 23 '16 at 17:50
  • What does it contain? – NVZ May 23 '16 at 18:46
  • stoneware jug returns images very similar to the one you depict... – GrimGrom May 24 '16 at 1:23
  • Also crock jug... – GrimGrom May 24 '16 at 1:25
  • I was thinking "jug" but wasn't sure, since it doesn't have a handle. I looked for similar listings on ebay, but "jug" only turned up smaller 1-gallon-ish sized containers. I guess I'll call it a jug in my listing and see what happens! @NVZ it's been empty since I've owned it - almost 20 years. I have no idea what it originally held. – Abby May 24 '16 at 18:00
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That would be an English rum jar. Often labeled with SRD (Supply Reserve Depot), these jars historically held rum for British soldiers fighting in wars. You can learn more about them here.

enter image description here

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  • Such jugs were used to hold many different substances. I've seen them in rural areas of the US that never had any English rum within 500 miles. – Hot Licks May 23 '16 at 19:19
  • @HotLicks: 'Cause it was all drunk up! – Drew May 24 '16 at 1:58
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I'd call it a jug although they often have a handle you can put one finger through. Generally they're stoppered with a cork.

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Possibly a carboy : a large container, sometimes in a frame for support, used for storing and transporting liquids:

A large carboy will protect wine from a fairly large temperature swing.

(Definition of carboy from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Also a demijohn.

No sense not getting in deeper: [National Directory of Commodity Specifications: Classified and Alphabetical Lists and Brief Descriptions of Specifications of National Recognition, 1945 (US regulations)

...Storage of Acids US Gov Interstate Commerce Commission Regulations for Transportation of Explosives and Other Dangerous Articles Shipping Container Specification 1A Boxed Carboys Glass Earthenware Clay or Stoneware Specification IB Boxed Lead Carboys Specification 1C Carboys II in Kegs Glass Earthenware Clay or Stoneware Includes requirements for manufacture of carboys outside containers and tests Published by American Trucking Assns Inc Tariff Bureau and Assn of American Railroads Bureau of Explosives US Gov Interstate Commerce Commission Regulations for Transportation of Explosives and Other Dangerous Articles Shipping Container Specification IX Boxed Carboys 5 to 6 Gallons for Export Only Glass Earthenware Clay or Stoneware Single Trip Container Includes requirements for manufacture marking and tests Published by American Trucking Assns Inc Tariff Bureau and by Assn American Railroads Bureau of Explosives

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  • I believe that carboy is made of glass. – Matsmath May 23 '16 at 17:45
  • @Matsmath - Not necessarily. – Hot Licks May 23 '16 at 17:49
  • @HotLicks On a second thought, I reconcile: I should have said that I believe that carboys are never made of ceramic. Proof: Google images – Matsmath May 23 '16 at 17:54
  • @Matsmath google.com/… – Hot Licks May 23 '16 at 18:02
  • Yeah, demijohn is one that I knew was out there but couldn't think of. – Hot Licks May 23 '16 at 18:03
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It could be a canopic jar.

Canopic jars were used by the ancient Egyptians during the mummification process to store and preserve the viscera of their owner for the afterlife. They were commonly either carved from limestone or were made of pottery.

From Oxford English:

A covered urn used in ancient Egyptian burials to hold the entrails from an embalmed body.

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  • Canopic jars are lidded. This vessel does not appear to have a lid. (BTW, not my downvote) – Kristina Lopez May 23 '16 at 17:58
  • @KristinaLopez Indeed, I just wanted to comment that a baboon head could have made the picture more authentic. Well... can you clarify your comment? I think that the brown top is actually a (rather large) lid. – Matsmath May 23 '16 at 18:00
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    Oh, the imperfect painting made me think otherwise. That's why I suggested canopic jar in the first place. Rats. As a side note, your reasoning as no way the pictured jug was designed as a burial urn lacks any solid reasoning. You say this, based on what? – Matsmath May 23 '16 at 18:11
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    Based on the point that you could hardly fit any part of a body through the roughly 1.5" spout opening, plus one would expect that a vessel intended for burying someone would be a little more ornate and respectful in appearance. – Hot Licks May 23 '16 at 19:21
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    Just to clarify, the brown part is not a separate piece. It's all one piece. Clearly (to me, at least) it's meant for liquid, not body parts. There's no cork now, but it makes sense that there used to be one. – Abby May 24 '16 at 18:10

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