{"product_id":"midsummer-honey-harvest-jug","title":"‘Midsummer Honey’ Harvest Jug","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘Midsummer Honey’ Harvest Jug\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eFrom the Midsummer collection of Suffolk Harvest Jugs for The Merchant’s Table by artist Annabel Pearl.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eMidsummer honey refers to the summer wildflower harvest, a raw honey produced by bees during peak summer blooms. It is prized for its rich golden colour, runny consistency, and warm, floral flavour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eIn folklore, the June full moon is the \u003ci\u003eHoney Moon\u003c\/i\u003e, the prime time for harvesting hives. Drinking mead during Midsummer was traditionally believed to bring vitality and a blessing for the coming harvest. This jug also features a garland of Briar Roses, Oxlips and \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eSnakes head fritillaries, flanked by the Midsummer moon.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eUsing traditional terracotta and cream slip, Annabel has drawn into the clay with sgraffito and finished the jugs with a warm honey-coloured glaze.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eThe visual stories and imagery she has decorated the jugs with depict the plants, animals, birds and myths of the magical landscape of Suffolk.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eApproximate Dimensions: Height cm, Diameter cm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eAnnabel Pearl's Midsummer Harvest Collection, inspired by Shakespeare's \u003ci\u003eA Midsummer Night's Dream \u003c\/i\u003eand despite being set in Athens, the\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ehistoric English rural celebrations of the Summer Solstice that are at the heart of the play.\u003c\/span\u003e Plants and untamed nature feature heavily in \u003ci\u003eA Midsummer Night's Dream\u003c\/i\u003e and the fragrant flora of the English countryside; most notably, the \u003ci\u003eLove-in-Idleness\u003c\/i\u003e flower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eAs the sun reaches its peak and the night is at its shortest, the natural world transforms. The primeval magic of Midsummer reverberates\u003c\/span\u003e through dreams, spells, and the enchanting power of plants, birds and creatures. The lush, aromatic woodland bed is alive with flowers, bees, lizards, birds and beetles while the sun stands still\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e for this one day of the year. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003ePart of the Midsummer collection of Suffolk Harvest Jugs by Annabel Pearl including The Coronet of Roses Harvest Jug, The Scent of Thyme on Midsummer Night Harvest Jug, The Nightingale Sings on Midsummer Night Harvest Jug and The Scent of Flowers on the Longest Day Harvest Jug.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eHarvest jugs started to be made in the early eighteenth century as vessels to serve ale or cider in at the harvest celebrations, and these simple terracotta and slipware jugs bring a feeling of everyday joyful celebration into a home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eAs harvest jugs grew in popularity and became highly desirable their status grew.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eSoon they were being commissioned by aristocrats, farmers, and landowners to commemorate special occasions and became prized possessions in England and America.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eThese handcrafted keepsakes rarely left the families they were made for and are now highly collectible as much for their beauty as for their importance as artefacts of social history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe harvest jugs Annabel made for The Merchant’s Table all honour both the imagery and ceramic techniques used by the Master Craftsmen family: George, Robert and Edwin Beer Fishley whose beautiful work can be found in \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk\/explore-our-collection\"\u003eThe Fitzwilliam Museum\u003c\/a\u003e. The decorative vitality of the Fishley harvest jugs is charming and soulful, and their rotund bellies abundantly express sentiments of love, joy and friendship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Annabel Pearl","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58077107552630,"sku":null,"price":685.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0589\/9540\/9059\/files\/The_Merchants_Table_Annabel_Pearl_Summer_Harvest_Jug_Honey_Harvest_Bee_Hive_1_2026_png.jpg?v=1781533565","url":"https:\/\/themerchantstable.co.uk\/products\/midsummer-honey-harvest-jug","provider":"The Merchant's Table","version":"1.0","type":"link"}