Rare Antique Majolica Humidor Tobacco Jar with Repairs - Depicting the Head of a Bulldog with an Imperial German Peak Visor Cap Lid

Here on offer is a Rare Antique Majolica Humidor Tobacco Jar, Depicting the Head of a Bulldog with what looks to be a Prussian or Imperial German Peak Visor Cap Lid.

I believe it was made either in Germany or Austria during the 1800's.

I must point out that this example has been broken at some point and then carefully repaired by glueing the pieces back together. Please see my photos. If it didn’t have the damaged it would be worth more than three times what I am offering this example for.

The bulldogs face has a stern expression and black markings around the muzzle, chin and eye brows.

The lid mimics the shape of a European Schirmmütze (peaked visor cap) worn by officers, stationmasters, or custom officials during the Prussian and Imperial era.

The visor is actually part of the main jar.

The lid has also been broken in two and glued back together, resulting it what now looks like just a hairline crack.

These porcelain jars were used historically as a tobacco jar or humidor to keep pipe tobacco moist, sometimes featuring a small sponge compartment inside the cap.

This piece does not feature a stamped factory logotype or backstamp, but rather handwritten pattern or mould numbers. On the base it is marked 65x and the inside of the lid seems to be marked 39x.

In European figural pottery, it was standard practice to write or incise the mould shape number on the bottom of the vessel and a matching or cross-referenced assembly/size code on the corresponding lid. That way, the factory workers could match the correct pieces after firing.

Because these numbers are painted on by hand rather than stamped into the clay, it is highly indicative of a Continental European manufacturer.

Austrian Potteries: Factories like Goldscheider, Turn-Teplitz, or other Bohemian/Austrian majolica workshops regularly used handwritten slip numbers and individual painter marks to classify their figural tobacco humidors.

Albeit it has repairs, it is complete and displays very well!

It measures 5” (12.7cm) high (including the lid) and approximately 5” (12.7cm) long.

It weighs 390g.

Please see my pictures for the details of the condition, which complement this description.

Please see my TERMS OF BUSINESS regarding Deliver Charges and Insurance regarding additional insurance cover, should you require it, BEFORE the item is dispatched.

The responsibility lies with the customer to check with your Customs restrictions that this item can be imported into your country.

Code: 52529