A storage jar is a lidded or open vessel used for keeping foodstuffs, liquids, medicines or other goods. Antique storage jars were made in earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, glass and occasionally metal, and they range in size from small kitchen canisters to large oil and grain jars standing several feet high.
In Britain, salt-glazed stoneware jars from potteries in London, Bristol, Derbyshire and elsewhere were made in vast quantities for preserves, butter, pickles and bread, often stamped with the name of the maker or the retailer. Mediterranean terracotta oil jars, Chinese export jars and continental faience apothecary jars form related collecting fields, each with its own shapes and decoration. Collectors value attractive glazes, impressed marks, unusual sizes and good original condition, though some chips and glaze loss are accepted on working pottery. Large jars with weathered surfaces are now widely used as decorative objects in kitchens, halls and gardens, while smaller examples grouped on open shelves or dressers bring an honest, practical character to country interiors. When buying for outdoor use, it is worth confirming that the body is frost-resistant, as some earthenware will crack in cold weather.
