Frog Mug

Probably Staffordshire

About 1820

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Large, cast iron tobacco box in the form of a seated, bearded Sir John Falstaff wearing sixteenth-century garb with a large belt and ruffled collar in a scene from Shakespeare's "Henry IV" (act 2, scene 4) in which Falstaff pulls his dagger and proclaims "…this chair shall be my state, this dagger my scepter…!" Falstaff is seated in an armchair whose armrests end in goat's heads, below the chair on either side is a bearded male mask; Falstaff's crossed feet rest on a small stool, the chair and stool rest on a base decorated with scrolls; his right arm is raised and his hand holds the handle of his dagger (the blade is broken off); his left arm rests on the chair's armrest while his left hand supports a long sword, which rests against his knee. The upper torso is hinged and opens to reveal the interior of the tobacco box.
Oval portrait medallion of white jasper with green jasper dip and white relief decoration with the bust of Benjamin Franklin in profile left.
Standing Female Figure, Royal Prussian Iron Foundry, Gleiwitz, cast iron
Octagonal tri-color jasper (lilac, dark blue, and white) cameo with white relief scene with six putti