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A superb quality 8in stoneware jug with Fleur-de-Lys by Doulton Lambeth's local competitor - James Stiff and Sons. It is known that Queen Victoria and William Gladstone were great admirers of the Doulton Stoneware. In 1902, Edward VII gave Doulton the Royal Warrant. James Stiff had worked for Doultons in the 1840s, and his sons took over the running of the business when he died. The jug with Fleur-de-Lys may well have been an attempt to capture the Royal attention. One can however easily understand the reluctance of Edward (then Prince of Wales) to add the word 'Royal' to the title of a firm called Stiff and Sons.
The 8in jug has the impressed mark of the firm J Stiff and Sons Lambeth, a monogram HJT, and design number 2205. The jug has a hallmarked silver rim dated Sheffield 1878.
The jug is in superb condition with no chips, cracks, crazing, restroation or significant scratches.
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