American Toby Jug Museum 

Pirate Maid large size toby jug designed by Betty Silvester and produced by Shorter & Son of Stoke-on-Trent, England, circa 1950. From the Gilbert and Sullivan opera "The Pirates of Penzance", the Pirate Maid is Ruth, a "piratical maid of all work", who, as Frederic's nursery maid, she had been instructed by his father to have the small boy apprenticed to a pilot, but she misheard and instead took Frederic to a pirate. Her shame upon realizing her error led her to join the pirate band herself. "The Pirates of Penzance", or "The Slave of Duty" is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was in New York City in December 1879, where it was well received by both audiences and critics. Its London debut was in April 1880 at the Opera Comique where it ran for 363 performances. 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. The Pirate Maid's left arm forms the handle of the jug. The small size Pirate Maid toby jug stands 4 3/4" tall.