Our collection of stoneware Victorian preserve jars come in a wonderful blend of greys, buffs and mushroom browns, and all make great holders for all your bits and bobs. Bits and bobs that cry out to be organised in every room in every home.

The largest jar is just the ticket for holding kitchen utensils. The medium size is perfect as a cutlery holder, or as a container to keep all your smaller stove-top tools within easy reach of the cooker. It also makes the perfect pen and pencil tidy, and toothbrush holder. The small size is best used as a sea salt holder and for condiments, when a store-bought jar on the table just won't do. And all can hold cut flower stems or small houseplants.

History

From 1870 – 1920 the UK witnessed an explosion in packaging. Cooked food was no longer all made at home, and could be bought ready-made, such as marmalade, preserves, sauces, chutneys and fish pastes. For instance, if you yearned a for a cup of beef tea in 1870, it would require you to boil up beef scraps and bones; yet by 1910, one could choose from a range of extracts sold in brown bottles with names such as Bovril and Oxo. Some vessels were reused, such as glass bottles and jars, and the stoneware jars we offer here – yet they were often tipped, and before the end of their life. Buried in the ground for over a century, they are now being rediscovered and un-earthed from their Victorian dumps. The simple shapes and stunning muted colours of these pots provide a glimpse into Victorian utilitarianism and into nineteenth century daily life, its needs and aspirations – which now, on the face of it, appear in-sync with our 21^st century ideals, aesthetics and thinking. 

Year of manufacture: 1890 - 1920

Origin: England

Material: stoneware

Condition: all are hand-thrown, so each is slightly different - irregular in shape and colour, with blemishes, nicks, small chips or faults in their glazing and finish. They were made for everyday use, and that's their beauty. 

Small: Height 6.5 - 8cm Diameter 5.5 - 7.5cm

Medium: Height 10 - 11cm Diameter 7 - 8.5cm

Large: Height 13 - 14cm Diameter 9 - 10cm

Please make your choice in the box below. If you require a particular colour or rib pattern from the choices we show here, then please indicate in the notes section on check-out.