Jug with salt glaze decoration, heavy pewter lid, from ca. 1970

Salt-glazed jugs are fired at approx. 1,200° C (approx. 2,200° Fahrenheit).

The addition of salt during the maximum temperature creates a hard glaze (which is actually a type of glass) that bonds with the body of the jug.

Add 2.5 kilos (about 5 pounds) of salt per cubic meter of oven space.

The salt turns a dark blue and settles in the recessed areas of the jug.

To prevent salt from settling inside the jug, the jugs are fired upside down.

Stoneware is no longer porous after firing, so the salt glaze was added for aesthetic rather than practical reasons.

This jug was made by hand in the Westerwald around 1970.

Height: approx. 28 cm

Contents: Approx. 1.5 liters.