American Toby Jug Museum 

Old Salt 3/4 body toby jug produced in Germany circa 1910 and marked Ges Gesch. "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. The mark Ges Gesch is short for "Gesetzlich geschuzt" meaning registered in German. Ware marked in this way is commonly referred to as Ges Gesch ware.