R.W. Newell, 'Thumbed and sagging bases on English medieval jugs', Medieval Ceramics, vol.18 (1994), pp.51-58 Age of Chivalry: Art in Plantagenet England 1200-1400, exhibition catalogue, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1987 Tests were undertaken using replica medieval jugs with convex bottoms. When filled with liquids, these jugs were stable when placed on a table and did not roll about as had been previously assumed. Additionally, the fact that these jugs had rounded bottoms meant that they could be tilted whilst on the table and their contents poured into drinking containers without having to lift the heavy jugs. D.H. Brown, Pottery in Medieval Southampton. Archaeology Monographs 8 / CBA Research Report 133. Council for British Archaeology, Oxford, 2002 Robert J. Charleston & D.F. Lunsingh Scheurleer, Masterpieces of Western Ceramic Art, Vol. VII: English and Dutch Ceramics, Kodansha, 1978

Although you can find them in many different shapes and colors, most botijos share a few features: round, with a handle on top and two holes, one on each side. One of the holes is wide, and used to fill the jug. The other one is at the end of a spout. When drinkers heft the jug into the air, it pours a thin stream of water into their mouths. (Touching the spout with your lips is taboo.) The botijo Argárico de Beniaján is the oldest such jug found in Spain so far. Public Domain All of our water jugs are hand decorated using our time-honoured tissue transfer printing method. We use engraved copper rollers to print the design onto fine tissue paper, then apply the decoration to the ceramics by hand. It's this method that allows us to decorate all of our complex handle shapes with such accuracy.There has been much speculation over the 'thumbing' found around the footrim of medieval jugs and as seen in this example. Many of the jugs that display this feature have convex, or 'sagging' bottoms. It has been considered that the thumbing was done to counteract this sagging thus enabling the jug to rest more securely on a flat surface without rolling. However, recent experimentation by a potter who has made extensive study of medieval ceramic manufacturing techniques has thrown much new light on this issue.

At first glance, the explanation behind the botijo’s cooling powers seems simple. When the jug is full, water completely permeates the porous, unglazed clay. Then, the water molecules on the surface evaporate, taking warmth with them. As a result, the water inside the botijo cools down. The mechanism is much the same as how the human body cools itself with sweat. In fact, it’s said that the botijo “sweats” as its surface dampens during the process. When placed in a warm place with dry, moving air, the botijo can decrease water temperature up to 10ºC (18ºF) in just an hour*⁠—a blessing during a hot Spanish summer. Orellana’s nearly complete botijo, with all its parts attached. Ignacio Amigo The collection now belongs to Martín’s children, who keep it in a large and dusty attic that is only opened on request. The attic is cluttered with botijos on tables, shelves, closets, and the floor. There’s just enough space to walk from one room to another. They estimate the collection has between 800 and 1,000 jugs. Plus, they’re very collectible. There are a surprising number of botijo museums and collections across Spain. One of the latter can be found in Pampaneira, another village of the Alpujarra mountains, just a few miles uphill from Las Barreras. It was the pride and joy of José Martín Aragón, a local trader who passed away 20 years ago. Many of Martín’s botijos are more art than appliance. Ignacio Amigo Yet botijos have become a relic of the past. They were handy in old rural Spain, where people worked the fields under a scorching sun and houses did not have electricity. But today, there are fewer farmers than ever, and it’s hard to find a house without a refrigerator. Why would someone drink from a heavy clay jug when they can comfortably use a glass? Orellana stands in his workshop, next to a drawing of his father, who was also a potter. Ignacio Amigo

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H. E. Jean Le Patourel, 'Documentary evidence and the medieval pottery industry', Medieval Archaeology, XII (1968), pp.101-26

Majolica Jugs: Majolica jugs are ceramic jugs made from earthenware and are characterized by their colorful glazes and ornate, decorative designs. Majolica jugs often feature molded relief designs of flowers, fruits, animals, or mythical creatures. They were popular during the Victorian era and are highly sought after by collectors. But behind its apparent simplicity, the details of the botijo’s cooling system are incredibly complex. In the 1990s, two Spanish scientists developed a mathematical model to explain the details. They placed botijos in an oven and measured the water evaporation rate and the temperature drop over time. In the end, they came up with two lengthy and complicated differential equations to explain the mechanism. Still, botijos hold a fascination for people across Spain. Part of it stems from a feeling of nostalgia. A rural exodus during the 60s and 70s swept Spaniards into cities. Many of today’s urban dwellers love the jugs as a reminder of the villages their parents and grandparents came from, where botijos were part of everyday life. Spaniards appreciate botijos as symbols of their roots, even if they use them only occasionally.Copper Jugs: Copper jugs are jugs made from copper or copper alloys like brass. They often have a distinctive warm, reddish-brown color and a shiny surface. Copper jugs can feature decorative engravings, embossed designs, or handles made from other materials like wood or bone. They were commonly used for serving and storing liquids. Pitchers: Pitchers, sometimes referred to as water jugs or milk jugs, are vessels with a handle and spout used for pouring liquids. Antique pitchers can be made from various materials like ceramic, glass, metal, or porcelain. They come in different shapes, sizes, and decorative styles, ranging from simple and utilitarian to ornate and decorative. In the centre of the jug is a round brooch made of 10 applied pads of clay, each depressed by thumb towards the body. This type of ring brooch was popular in medieval dress in the latter part of the 13th and into the first part of the 14th century. There are other examples of anthropomorphic jugs with ring brooches from this period in the British Museum and in the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry.

Salt-Glazed Jugs: Salt-glazed jugs are stoneware jugs that have been fired with common salt, resulting in a distinctive glaze that has a mottled, textured appearance. The salt glaze creates a hard, waterproof surface that was highly desired for preserving liquids. Salt-glazed jugs can feature decorative motifs or incised designs. Clay can also be used in jewelcrafting like any other stone or ore, allowing for an infinite source of materials for practicing cutting gems with. However, clay cannot be fired from a catapult, loaded into a stone-fall trap, or used in place of stone at a mason's workshop.

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Variations of this story can be heard all across Spain. In La Rambla, a city in the province of Córdoba with a long pottery tradition, there have been a few campaigns to promote local clay products in general and the botijo in particular. One of them asked Whatsapp, Spain’s messaging app of choice, to add a botijo emoji. A botijocatching a breeze. Basotxerri/CC BY-SA 4.0 Jugs with applied slip and moulded decoration were characteristic of the pottery making centres in Normandy in the 13th century. Many of their products have been found in excavations in England, especially in and around port cities such as Southampton. Undoubtedly, this technique of ceramic decoration influenced the pottery-making centres in England.