American Toby Jug Museum 

Samson & Delilah double-sided character jug modeled by Stanley J. Taylor and produced by Royal Doulton of Burslem, England, in a 1988 limited edition of 9,500. The story of the Biblical lovers, Samson and Delilah, is told in the Old Testament Book of Judges. Before Samson was born it was prophesied that he would deliver the Israelites from the Philistines using his superhuman strength, which lay in his flowing hair. As a young man he demonstrated his might by slaying thousands of Philistines with the jawbone of an ass. When Samson fell in love with the beautiful Philistine woman, Delilah, his enemies saw their opportunity to bring about his downfall. They bribed Delilah to discover the secret of Samson's strength. She managed to pry the truth from him and one night in her bedchamber, Delilah lulled her lover to sleep and sheared off the locks of his hair, leaving him defenseless. Samson was captured, blinded and paraded at a festival, but his hair and thus his strength had started to return. While on display at the festival, Samson pulled down the pillars supporting the building, killing himself and all of the Philistines present. The handle features the jawbone of an ass on Samson's side and the collapsing pillars on Delilah's side.