Made in Frechen, Germany, saltglazed stoneware vessels such as this jug were produced and exported in great quantities to fulfill England's stoneware needs. England succeeded in establishing her own stoneware industry in the 1680s. The jugs are known as Bartmann or "bearded man" for the bewhiskered face that adorns the neck. Bartmann jugs are also identified in the literature as "Bellarmines," a term popularly believed to be a satiric reference to the much-despised Cardinal Robert Bellarmino (1542-1621). In 1606 Bellarmino, who was an opponent of Protestantism, publicly rebuked King James I for his treatment of English Catholics. While the English and Dutch may have made the association between the bulbous grimacing jug and the Catholic prelate during the tempestuous religious climate of the early 17th century, it is unlikely that the form originated as a caricature. The first Bartmanner were produced around 1550 when Bellarmino was only eight years old!

This Bartmann jug was excavated from Pit 1, a ca. 1610 context within the palisaded walls of James Fort. It has three medallions around its belly. The medallions consist of a a coat-of-arms depicting a crowned shield that has been divided into four quarters. The first and third quarters each exhibit a single lion passant, which means that he is walking with his right paw raised. The second and fourth quarters each have two lions passant. In the first quarter, which is the upper left-hand corner of the shield, there is a heraldic device known as a fess with a label on chief. This is the band across the upper third of the escutcheon that is carrying three stylized fleurs-de-lis. It is this label that identifies the medallion as Italian and, more specifically, as representing a member of the Tuscan Anjou party of Guelfs who from medieval times were staunch supporters of the Pope.

Guelf coats-of-arms have never before been recorded on German stoneware. Further, there is no documented trade of the ware in Italy, so the Bartmann jug from Pit 1 is extremely rare. It must have been commissioned by an individual, perhaps an Italian merchant, who had trade or other contacts with northwest Europe.