{"product_id":"large-17thc-german-antique-bellarmine-jug-frechen-c-1650-1670-with-apotropaic-witch-mark-copy","title":"Large 17thC German Antique Bellarmine Jug, Frechen, c.1650–1670 — With Apotropaic Witch Mark","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eA German salt-glazed stoneware Bellarmine jug, from Frechen, circa 1650–1670.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThe globular belly rises to a narrow cylindrical neck with a collared rim, covered throughout in a warm iron-brown salt glaze of characteristic Frechen character. The neck is applied with a mask of striking primitive force — broad, archaic features and a full beard rendered with confident economy. To the belly, a large and boldly impressed daisy medallion: an eight-petalled rosette within a toothed circular border, crisp and commanding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThe medallion is the heart of this piece. The stylised flower — closely related to the hexafoil or daisy wheel — was one of the most widespread protective marks in European folk belief. Scratched onto timbers, hearths, and domestic objects across Britain and Northern Europe, it was believed to confuse and trap malevolent spirits, who would follow the continuous interlaced line endlessly without finding an exit. On a Bellarmine, already charged with the apotropaic power of the grimacing mask, the addition of the daisy medallion compounded the vessel's protective force considerably. Bellarmines of this type were frequently repurposed as witch bottles, buried beneath hearths and thresholds filled with urine, bent pins, and nail clippings to return a curse to its sender. Mask and medallion together made this among the most symbolically loaded objects in the domestic repertoire of 17th-century Northern Europe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance: \u003c\/strong\u003eThe piece was recovered from a Belgian river — consistent with deliberate ritual deposition. Subsequently acquired by the Bellarmine Museum, Swaffham, Norfolk, and illustrated as no. 47 in the book \"\u003cem\u003eThe Alex Wright Collection: \u003cspan\u003eThe Bellarmine and Other German Stoneware,\" Volume I.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial: \u003c\/strong\u003eSalt-glazed stoneware.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition: \u003c\/strong\u003eRestored. Please refer to the images. This jug was stolen from our shop in June 2026 and, quite remarkably, returned to our doorstep in late August of the same year — left anonymously and broken into several pieces. Our ceramics restorer has carefully repaired it, and we have chosen to retain its visible “war wounds” as part of its history and journey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 25 cm = 9¾ inches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Holt Antiques at Walsingham Mill","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55622778126678,"sku":"HAF7354","price":895.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0782\/7462\/5878\/files\/rn-image_picker_lib_temp_e1fd8a62-347e-44cb-9e67-14e854bcf79e.jpg?v=1791305465","url":"https:\/\/holtantiquefurniture.com\/products\/large-17thc-german-antique-bellarmine-jug-frechen-c-1650-1670-with-apotropaic-witch-mark-copy","provider":"Holt Antiques at East Raynham","version":"1.0","type":"link"}