To design a vessel suited to the serving of beer, Henry Townsend gave us a lidded jug of a simple overall shape and a low relief that would be easy to clean and easy to handle.

Practical concerns, however, did not diminish decorative ambitions; Townsend created a detailed continuous panorama that tells the story of the harvest as the jug is rotated. Numerous figures, some merely faces seen among the foliage, are engaged in picking and sorting the hops or just observing the work.Women and children carry out many of the tasks. We see the sacking of the grain, the construction of barrels, and one tired lad who has paused for a quick nap. The vertical lines of the vines growing on poles divide the surface into panels and create a visual rhythm around the body.

As if to temper all of this pastoral realism with a bit of mythological whimsy, Townsend adds two naked putti--possibly supervisors sent by Bacchus--swinging trapeze style from overhanging vines. And finally the lid is topped by an adorably chubby putto who is napping among bunches of the grain. These three figures wed Townsend's contemporary agrarian scene to the classical tradition of drinking vessels.

Felix Summerly's Art Manufactures was an important, if short-lived venture created by Henry Cole in 1847 in response to the flood of poorly designed manufactured goods flooding the British market.   Cole's intention was to pair recognized artists with manufacturers to produce goods which would be elegant, yet affordable for everyday use.  Decoration was to be appropriate in subject to the object's use, simple enough not to interfere with utility, and based upon natural motifs and ornamentation. 

Lasting for three years, Summerly Art Manufactures was brought to an end in 1850 by Cole's increasing responsibilities with the Great Exhibition.  However in the three years of its existence, an impressive roster of recognized artists had been paired with multiple major British manufactures.  In addition to Minton, participants included Wedgwood, J. Rodgers and Sons, Dixons and Sons, and the Coalbrookdale Company. It is recognized as a key moment in the design reform movement.

Since we label this text block "Comments," we will risk a personal one. In our opinion the British molded jug tradition produced no finer example than the Minton "Hop Gathering" jug.