An Appealing 19thC Brown Saltglazed Stoneware Shop Tobacco Jar; "Cut Cavendish"

Origin: English
Period: Late Nineteenth Century
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1880-1890
Base Diameter: 5.75 inches
Height: 10 inches

The brown saltglazed stoneware bottle having the original tin lid, inscribed "Cut Cavendish" upon a gold banner, with moulded floral fruiting vined garlands above and the Royal coat of arms under, survives from the late nineteenth century

There is some wear to the painted label and royal coat of arms is rubbed, the jar having been picked up and put down countless times, whilst structurally the piece is sound with no cracks or chips. The tin lid has one seam, which is splitting and rusting.

Simliar to brown saltglaze examples by Derbyshire, this pot would have advertised Cut Cavendish tobacco on shop shelves, much like an apothecary or confectionary jar. Cut Cavendish itself is more a process of curing and a method of cutting tobacco than a type. The processing and the cut are used to bring out the natural sweet taste in the tobacco and it is most commonly used for pipe tobacco and cigars. English Cavendish uses a dark flue or fire cured Virginia, which is steamed and then stored under pressure to permit it to cure and ferment for several days or weeks. There are several colors, numerous blends, and a wide range of flavours. Cavendish tobacco originated in the late 16th century, when Sir Thomas Cavendish, commanded a ship in Sir Richard Grenville's expedition to Virginia in 1585, and discovered that by dipping tobacco leaves in sugar it produced a milder and mellower smoke.

A very attractive piece of stoneware that surely appeals to fans of advertising but more so to those who simply want a killer decorative fix of days gone by. Good for tea bags.