The clue of the Bellarmine jar

In the humid chaos of Fort Kochi it is difficult to get a feeling of the long history of the city. There are clues in the architecture and the remains of the wharves and boatyards, and the inlet from the sea still carries its share of traditional fishing boats. Staying at the Fort House hotel I was brought up short by a pot sitting in a case which displayed an eclectic mix of items. These, apparently, were for sale on behalf of a widow who lived in the town.

My first reaction was that I was looking at a reproduction or forgery, but then I realised that I had never known the pot in question to be reproduced because it was a curiosity about which little was known. It was a Bellarmine jug, about 30cm tall and in near-perfect condition.

This was undoubtedly a survivor of the Dutch trade with India in the 17th Century. The Dutch dominated the Malabar Coast from 1661, when they took it from the Portuguese, until 1795 when the British made great inroads into the Indian trade routes. The pots, with their bearded faces and decorative stomachs were made for about two hundred years, originating in Germany, but sometimes exported via the Netherlands, where they were very popular. They gained their nickname after Cardinal Robert Bellarmine, scourge of protestants and inquisitor, and as they were used extensively for beer, their name was not a compliment to the austere Cardinal. Drinkers delighted in smashing the face off the pot.

Later they were sometimes used as "Witch Bottles", containing animal remains and arcane substances and buried somewhere about the house for protection, or as a curse. I think it is a shame that the jolly beer flagon has been appropriated by the sinister followers of witchcraft, as I have always been fond of the primitive feel of these stoneware pots and their honest salt glazes.

I was very tempted to buy the jug, which was on sale for a modest amount. I looked up the price on a couple of antiques sites and told the hotel what they had, but could not see myself hefting a heavy, antique pot onto the plane home. It is something I regret now, as I would have liked to have one of the rare clues of Fort Kochi's past.

There is a very interesting article on Bellarmines here:
http://cka.moon-demon.co.uk/KAR007/KAR007_Bellarmine.htm