American Toby Jug Museum 

Old Salt or Sailor toby jug in a large size produced by Shorter & Son of Stoke-on-Trent, England, circa 1945. "On Friday morn as we set sail, And our ship not far from the land; We there did espy a fair, pretty maid, With a comb and a glass in her hand." The ship in question sank to the bottom of the sea. Given a little liquid encouragement to remind him of former days afloat, the Old Salt can spin hundreds of yarns like this to pass the long days and nights spent trawling at sea: tales of enchanted islands, innumerable battles with ocean monsters and age-old legends of the mermaid, the mythical lady of the sea. The beauty of these sirens with golden hair and shimmering bodies, half women, half fish, has inflamed many a sailor and their bewitching song has lured many a boat onto jagged rocks, bringing wreckage and instant destruction. A heavy twisted rope forms the handle of this jug. From the ship H.M.S. Cheerio, this Old Salt jug is the largest of three known sizes. The medium size Old Salt toby jug stands 6 1/2" tall and the small size 4 1/4" tall. Some jugs are impressed Old Salt and others impressed Sailor, although the design is the same.