Pitcher water filter

This is a jug with a water filter; its top container is pear-shaped with a flat back and a decoration on the spout in the shape of a moulded crest with a central scallop shell and a lid. The bottom section has a small metal tap to decant the water to another sink-shaped container. The piece is white-glazed and decorated with blue plant motifs.

An almost identical piece, produced in the Fábrica da Bica do Sapato in Lisbon, exists in the Museum dos Biscainhos and dates from the end of the 19th century. It is not known whether it was produced in a Triana pottery to imitate Portuguese models and iconographies, or if it was originally produced in the Lisbon factory itself.

These items were used for storing water and also to purify it using filtering material that was placed inside. These filters produce a higher level of hygiene in drinking water and prevents the propagation of many sicknesses. This piece in particular is intended for a middle or high-class home, since it is finely decorated and produced.

These filters, especially when decorated so richly, used to be placed in the most public areas of the house: often in the dining room for ease of use during meals, but also sometimes in the hallways so that people could wash their hands.

This piece represents the evolution in pottery production from the 19th century: from hand-crafting, in which most of the pieces were shaped by turning, to industrial production, which incorporated elements such as moulds, firing in bottle kilns or the decoration with prints which allowed mass production. However, although produced industrially, this piece is still reminiscent of artisan work given that its decoration is hand-painted, a technique that was maintained in ceramic factories until the end of the 20th century.