Royal Doulton Vintage Toby Mug of 18th Century Gentleman (c. 1960's)

This mint condition Royal Doulton Toby Mug depicts an English Gentleman, possibly a military figure or naval officer. More research might show him to be an historic personage but we could not find any likenesses in our research. This mug came from the Spurrier Estate and was acquired in the 1950's as far as we know. We believe it is a product of Royal Doulton's product line from the 1950's - 1960's era.

From Nine Caroline Antiques documentation: "Toby Jugs, or character mugs, are an interesting type of collectible with a rich history in England that dates back to the 18th century. The inspiration for the Toby Jug likely hails from an old tavern song called "Brown Jug" which commemorates the life and death of the Staffordshire gent Toby Philpot, known for his drinking prowess (probably based on the real life story of a Yorkshire man called Henry Elwes who was said to have drunk 2,000 gallons of ale). The song was popularized in 1761 when it was published with an accompanying illustration that became the basis for the traditional Toby jug figure: a round old gentleman holding a tankard of beer and thoroughly enjoying himself. Some of the earlier jugs ... might have been used to carry beer to the table. This type of jug has a lid, disguised as Toby's tricorn hat. This sort of archetypal drinking gentleman mug is known as an Ordinary Toby."

The mug is hefty and can hold liquids... but the weight of the top part of the piece may result in tipping. This more or less defeats the practical purpose of the mug, if spirituous libations are influencing the drinker to begin with... or, it was used a jug to transport beer to another drinking vessel.