American Toby Jug Museum 

Sam Thatcher character jug produced in a pastel blue colorway, designed by Colin Rawson and produced by Hornsea Pottery of Hornsea, England, between 1950 and 1952. Sam Thatcher is Hornsea's resident roof thatcher. Roof thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, rushes, heather, or palm branches, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. Since the bulk of the vegetation stays dry and is densely packed, trapping air, thatching also functions as insulation. It is a very old roofing method still employed by builders in developing countries, and in many developed countries it is the choice of some affluent people who desire a rustic look for their home or who have purchased an originally thatched abode. Sam is an expert at his craft.