Puzzle bottle

Unknown

16th–17th century · Lead-glazed earthenware · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Crossing class boundaries and spanning centuries, drinking games remain enduringly popular. At the opposite end of the spectrum from the refined Diana automaton displayed nearby, this puzzle bottle for the low end of the market provided slapstick entertainment: the puzzle involves deciding which spout to drink from without getting showered from the others. Its decorative coloration was simply and quickly achieved by spattering multiple glazes against the bottle before firing. [Elizabeth Cleland, 2017]

Artist

Unknown

Date

16th–17th century

Medium

Lead-glazed earthenware

Culture

French

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917