The puzzle jug is a medieval drinking game with perforations around the neck, challenging players to drink without spilling. A hidden tube inside the jug allows for drinking without spilling, and some jugs have additional holes. Puzzle jugs are descendants of other medieval drinking games and can be traced back to 13th century France. They regained popularity in the 18th and 19th centuries and are still made today.
A puzzle jug is a tavern game that was popular during the medieval period, then again during the 18th and 19th centuries. It’s a jug-shaped drinking puzzle. The challenge is to drink from the jug without spilling anything. This is made more difficult by the perforations surrounding the neck of the jug. A source of amusement, each jug can be inscribed with a verse.
At first, drinking without spilling seems impossible, but the trick to the puzzle jug is a hidden tube that runs inside the jug. One end is shaped into a spout. The other end runs around the rim of the jug and then follows the handle down to the base of the jug. This tube allows you to drink without spilling by sucking from the end of the spout. Of course, a puzzle pitcher can be simple and have a single spout or complicated with up to six spouts to choose from.
To make it even more challenging, before sucking from the spout, additional holes around the tube must first be closed with your fingers. Some puzzle jugs also have a hidden hole along the tube. This hole is usually hidden under the handle.
Puzzle jugs are descendants of other medieval drinking games including the cuddle cup and crown of pots. A cuddle cup is a puzzle made up of three or more cups joined together by perforated tubes. A vase crown is shaped as it is called. It has a hollow ring base that holds four cups. It also has pipes that connect at the top like an English crown.
The puzzle jug can be traced back to 13th century France. There is also evidence that it was produced in Germany, Holland and other European countries around the same time. An early example of this ceramic novelty, the Exeter Puzzle Jug, is on display at the Royal Albert Museum, located in Exeter, Devon. The Exeter Puzzle Jug was made around the 13th in Saintonge, France. It is considered a remarkable example of medieval pottery.
The puzzle jug regained its popularity in homes and taverns during the 18th and 19th centuries. They continue to be made today by potters. Modern examples of this art form can be found in the UK, France and Germany.
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