Puzzle Jugs
Puzzle jugs are an old drinking game from Medieval England, and are one of my favorite forms, just due to how absolutely daffy they are. At their core, they’re pitchers with holes poked in their necks, so any attempt to pour out of them is doomed to end in a soggy mess. So the question is: how are you supposed to drink whatever’s inside?
The trick lies in the handle and rim of the pitcher, which are both hollow. Together, they form a straw that connects the spouts at the top of the jug to a hole in the bottom. One last trick though: which spout do you drink out of and how? Some of them can be decoys, which don’t connect to anything. If there’s multiple valid openings, you’ll need to cover any spout that you’re not drinking out of in order to get suction. Sometimes there are extra buttons concealed around the jug that need to be covered as well. At any rate, it requires a bit more effort than you’re normal sippy cup!
Traditionally, they often have rhyming jingles painted on their sides, taunting drinkers to figure out their tricks. Given I have the handwriting of a shaky-handed serial killer, I opted to have the poems come separately, and decorate the jugs with my usual coil applique, hiding hints in the accompanying poem.
Come, my friend, and try your skill;
I'll lay a wager, if you will:
that tip me high or tilt me slow,
you'll wear far more than down you'll throw.
Three eyes turn atop my rim,
four tongues curled back along the brim,
from mouths that spill whate'er they hold,
but my eyes are where the prize is told.
One eye is blind, and two are true,
and only one will drink for you.
Vines grow a green and lovely lace
about the narrow of my waist.
But mind the vines about my throat:
they are not vines. They'll soak your coat.
Gecko
Glazed Stoneware, 2026
Waterfalls
Glazed Stoneware, 2026
Step up and test your steady hand;
I'll take the wager where you stand:
that drink me quick or drink me slow,
you'll leave in need of drier clothes.
Four springs run proudly 'round my neck
and hold your every pour in check.
Three mouths I bear, but two run true;
the third was never meant for you.
I wear my water carved in clay
that flows its own unbidden way.
Drink me dry, and then you'll see
that all along you gripped the key.