This stunning hand painted Italian ceramic jug comes in the traditional Rooster shape and the Alcantara hand painted design.  This design features a deep blue band and two lemons and their leaves hanging from this band on either side of the jug..

This rooster jug measures 210mm high and approximately 175mm wide and has a volumetric capacity of 800ml.

It features the traditional 'Alcantara' design and on the base of the jug is the hand painted inscription 'Dip a mano', which is Italian for 'painted by hand'.  The next line has the town that the jug was made in (Deruta in the Italian province of Umbria) and finally 'MOD' which stands for 'Majolica of Deruta' the Italian company which made the jug.

Click on the images above to see the larger pictures and scroll through the images to see the detail of this lovely jug for yourself.

The "Rooster Pitcher" or "Rooster Jug" dates back to the early Renaissance period.  At this time, the Medici family, one of the most powerful landowning families of the time, held a feast in the village of Gallina for their peasants.  After the feast, when everyone was asleep, a rival family sent assassins to the village to kill the Medici.  However, the roosters in the yards around the village started cackling when disturbed by the assassins, waking both the Medici family and their guards.  The assassins were caught and duly executed.  The Medici family, were so grateful to the roosters for saving their lives that they commissioned local artists to create ceramic replicas of them to be used as wine pitchers.  These were then distributed to the peasants and their friends to commemorate this event and to provide for them similar good luck in times of peril and danger.

Today, these jugs are given by Italian families to their friends and loved ones for wedding and engagement gifts with the hope that they bring similar good fortune with them.

These jugs are also still used as wine pitchers and pour beautifully, but they can also be used of course as a jug for any purpose.

Add this lovely Italian rooster jug to your shopping cart now!