This object was made when the cruel sport of bear baiting was still legal in this country.Brown bear jugs like this one were hand made by the stoneware potters in Nottingham in the mid 18th century.
Bear-baiting was popular in 16th and 17th century England. A bear would be led into an arena and chained to a stake. Then a pack of bulldogs or mastiffs would be released into the arena to torment ...