Fortune Teller character jug produced by Sterling Pottery of Fenton, England, circa 1950 being purchased by Ridgway in 1950. The traditional fortune teller is a Romany or Gypsy. Fortune-telling is one of the ancient skills of the gypsies. For centuries these dark-skinned, nomadic people have wandered Europe, making a living as smiths, tinkers, horse dealers and fortune tellers at the fair ground. For a silver coin the old gypsy woman will reveal the mystery of your future, or as much as she sees fit, by practicing ancient arts such as astrology, palmistry, crystal ball gazing, and reading tea leaves or tarot cards. The genuine gypsy fortune teller is becoming hard to find today, but she has many imitators. Part of the Fortune Tellers' scarf that is wrapped around her head forms the handle of the jug. This is the largest of four known sizes with the smaller sizes standing 3 1/2", 2 1/2" and 1 3/4" tall. This jug was produced from Cooper Clayton molds.
Maker:
Sterling Pottery
England
circa 1950
Model #:
Cooper Clayton Characters Series
character jug
Size:
medium
Height:
4"
