PAIR OF BELLARMINE JUG TABLE LAMPS, C.1640

Made nearly 400 years ago, these lamps will likely be the oldest items in your home. The jugs are thick, heavy ceramic, designed to withstand daily use, and would have passed between hands in taverns, filled with beer or wine. 

In 1600s Germany, most vessels were plain. Bellarmine jugs are unusual: their collars feature a relief of a Bartmann, or bearded man. The man is Cardinal Robert Bellarmine, a Jesuit priest who campaigned to abolish alcohol. Tavern owners responded by adding his face to their jugs, so that every drop of wine they poured flowed behind the Cardinal's back.

These Bellarmine jugs have been adapted as table lamps. They bring four centuries of character to your home, and will almost certainly outlast everything else in it. 

Origin: German, c.1640

Dimensions:

Without shade: 50cm H x 29cm D

With shade: 69cm H x 45cm D

Condition report: Attractive patina to the bases consistent with age. Professionally wired. Shades are 100% undyed heavyweight linen.