Asante Ewer
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The Asante Ewer or Asante Jug is a leaded
Description
The front of the Asante Jug is decorated with the
- "+ HE THAT WYL NOT SPARE WHEN HE MAY HE SHALL NOT / SPEND WHEN HE WOULD DEME THE BEST IN EVERY / DOWT TIL THE TROWTHE BE TRYID OWTE"
The inscription appears to be two English sentences, run together:
- "He that will not spare when he may he shall not spend when he would" and "Deem the best in every doubt until the truth be tried out".
The neck of the Asante Jug bears six
Without the lid, the jug is 43.3 centimetres (17.0 in) high, and the lid (including the overlapping underlip) is 19.6 centimetres (7.7 in). When assembled with its lid, the jug is 62.3 centimetres (24.5 in) high. It weighs 18.6 kilograms (41 lb), and has a capacity of 15.8 litres (3.5 imp gal; 4.2 US gal). When filled, it would be inconveniently heavy to use.
Similar jugs
Only two similar jugs are known in the UK. All have similar shapes, bear inscriptions in English with similar lettering, and were made from leaded bronze, an alloy of copper, tin and lead, cast in a two-part mould in a similar manner using bronze spacers to separate the inner and outer moulds, with similar heraldic decorative motifs. The Asante jug is the largest, and the only one to retain its lid.
Of the other two jugs, the smallest is
All three jugs were made in England. The heraldic emblems on this jug link it to either
Another plainer 14th century English lidded jug is in Leeds City Museum.
History
The jug was bought by the British Museum in 1896 from Major General
References
- The Asante Jug, British Museum
- Asante Ewer, Google Arts & Culture
- Asante ewer, Institute of Historical Research and Royal Holloway University of London, 2007
- English bronzer ewer, BBC, A History of the World
- Leeds's world changing treasures, Yorkshire Evening Post, 1 February 2010
- The Wenlok Jug, Friends of Luton Museums
- Robinson Jug, Victoria and Albert Museum