American Toby Jug Museum 

Pirate King box designed by Betty Silvester and produced by Shorter & Son of Stoke-on-Trent, England, circa 1950. From the Gilbert and Sullivan opera "The Pirates of Penzance", the Pirate King, who real name was never revealed but is Richard, is the main antagonist of the comic opera. He is an orphaned noble turned pirate, leading an orphaned pirate crew with whom he scourges the seas with theft, plundering and the occasional, often unsuccessful, attack. "The Pirates of Penzance", or "The Slave of Duty" is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was in New York City in December 1879, where it was well received by both audiences and critics. Its London debut was in April 1880 at the Opera Comique where it ran for 363 performances. With permission from D'Oyly Carte, Shorter modeled this series based on the actor and costumes from the operas and posing in scenes from the operas. The top of the box features the Pirate King while the bottom is a treasure chest.