The Collection
	Puritan Pocket Watch
	The Deal Man
	The Dover Saxon Ring
	460 New Postcards of Dover
	Polar Bear
	Bone Ship
	Amphora shaped glass jar
	Channel Swimming Photograph
	Model Cannon and Gun Carriage
	Southern Railway Poster
	Greetings Postcard
	Roman Pharos
	A Selection of Fossils
	Granville Dock watercolour
	Chain Home Low Radar Station
	Tram No. 4, Bench Street, Dover
	Louis Bleriot's landing
	St. Mary's Church
	Ripple Hoard

Information Resources Home Page

The Collection

Bellarmine Jug

Late 16th century.

At this period, wines and beers were drawn from barrels into bottles of stoneware or leather. This type of stoneware bottle (salt-glazed) was made in the Netherlands and incorporated a stamped image of Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621). This man was a bitter opponent of the Dutch Reformed Church and so it was common for Protestants wishing to insult him to smash the jugs!

These vessels were also frequently used as 'witch bottles'. This entailed filling the jug with certain articles, sealing it and burying it. This was done in order to deflect a witch's curse. Many of these witch bottles have been discovered.

Further reading : Merrifield, R.: 1987: The Archaeology of Ritual and Magic: Batsford

Conditions of use

The contents of this site, including all images and text, are for personal, educational, non-commercial use only. The contents of this site may not be reproduced in any form without the permission of Dover Museum.

Market Square, Dover, Kent, CT16 1PB Tel: 01304 201066 Fax: 01304 241186 E-mail: museumenquiries@dover.gov.uk