The global distribution of Bartmann jugs was directly connected with European colonial expansion. We are tracing the colonial trade system, identifying the merchants and trading companies who exported Bartmann jugs from the Rhineland in Germany to the Netherlands, England and beyond. 

We’re comparing distribution patterns and quantities to discover just how significant Bartmann jugs were as trade goods. 

Bartmann’s global distribution 

In the early modern period (1500-1800), there was a huge expansion in global trade, linking Europe with its colonies overseas. This includes the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (the Dutch East India Company), one of the most important trading companies during the 1600s and 1700s. 

The colonial trade system meant that Bartmann jugs travelled widely across the oceans. We find them in: 

  • Shipwrecks – in the North Sea, Atlantic Ocean, the Carribean, South China Sea and around Australia.  

  • Colonial settlements in North and South America – they were used in colonial settlements, forts and by indigenous populations. 

  • Southeast Asia including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Japan (for example where European ceramics were seen as valued gifts by Japanese nobles).  

A global influence 

Bartmann jugs also influenced the design of pottery worldwide. These include earthenware pots from Georgia, and Japan. Made during the 1600s, when Bartmann jugs were at their peak popularity, each has a face on its neck.  

We are developing connections with archaeologists, museum professionals, and curators in Africa, South America and Southeast Asia. This will help us better understand how the Bartmann jugs were used and viewed across the world. 

Our research questions

What liquids were stored in Bartmann jugs?

 Stoneware pottery, like Bartmann jugs, was often used for storing and transporting liquids. This is because stoneware naturally doesn’t soak up liquid, unlike earthenware which has to be glazed. Although Bartmann jugs often held alcohol, they were also used to transport more dangerous liquids, including mercury. 

Large numbers of Bartmann jugs have been found on shipwrecks. We can study these, as well as historical records, to find out about the different liquids stored in them. 

Why were Bartman jugs so popular in European colonial settlements?

We want to understand what made Bartmann jugs such common finds during excavations of European colonial settlements. Did they offer something besides their function as a vessel, such as a reminder of home?

How did indigenous peoples view Bartmann jugs?

We're exploring a number of questions, including 

  • How did stoneware jugs end up in Native American graves?      

  • Why did Japanese potters produce faithful imitations of the jugs that even retained the European coats of arms?