Liverpool Jug c. 1936

This Liverpool Jug by Helmut Hiatt is a monochrome explosion of transfer-printed decoration all over its curved white surface. It’s ceramic, but the jug is covered with symbols and portraits – it feels like an accumulation of information. Looking at it I get a sense of how much someone cared about these images, maybe a real love of country. I imagine the artist carefully selecting each image, each a little world in itself. There's George Washington, a woman draped in what looks like the American flag, eagles, flowers, and the name Samuel Brintnall! This jug reminds me of other artists who layer imagery and reference different styles, like Peter Saul, or even Sarah Lucas. It’s this tension between high and low, historical and personal, that makes the jug so engaging. There's a kind of exchange that goes on, with people borrowing images, remixing, and repurposing meaning. This is how art evolves – through constant conversation and response.