American Toby Jug Museum 

Ko Ko large size toby jug designed by Clarice Cliff and produced by Shorter & Son of Stoke-on-Trent, England, circa 1950. From the 1885 Gilbert and Sullivan operetta "The Mikado", Ko Ko is the lord high executioner of Titipu, the highest rank a citizen can obtain, Ko Ko was a cheap tailor who had been sentenced to death for flirting, until he was raised to his high position through “remarkable circumstances.” He is also engaged to marry Yum-Yum, even though she doesn’t love him. "The Mikado", or "The Town of Titipu", is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations. It opened in London in March of 1885 where it ran at the Savoy Theatre for 672 performances, the second-longest run for any work of musical theater and one of the longest runs of any theater piece up to that time. 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. Ko Ko's long pony tail forms the handle of the jug. The small size Ko Ko toby jug stands 4 1/4" tall.