American Toby Jug Museum 

Don Alhambra small size toby jug designed by Clarice Cliff and produced by Shorter & Son of Stoke-on-Trent, England, circa 1950. From the Gilbert and Sullivan opera "The Gondoliers", Don Alhambra was the Grand Inquisitor of Spain, and the man who was responsible for the infant Prince of Barataria to be smuggled away, lest he fall sway to the influence of Methodism that had corrupted his father. Extremely clever and more than a bit of snob, Don Alhambra is greatly exasperated by the hijinks of Marco and Guiseppe, and not at all sorry to see them go when Luiz replaces them on the throne. "The Gondoliers" is a Savoy Opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered in December of 1889 and ran for a very successful 554 performances, closing at the end of June 1891. This was the twelfth comic opera collaboration of fourteen between Gilbert and Sullivan and was their last great success. With permission from D'Oyly Carte, Shorter modeled this series based on the actor and costumes from the operas and posing in scenes from the operas. A pair of cords from Alhambra's hat form the handle of the jug.