Royal Doulton Character Jug Derivative, Old King Cole Musical Jug (Yellow Crown).
Artist: Harry Fenton
Issue Dates: 1939-1939
Size: 7.5”H (19.1 cm)
Color: yellow crown
“Old King Cole was a Merry Old Soul” are the words of the nursery rhyme that inspired the design of this jug as well as the tune it plays. This is a derivative of the original jug which was first issued in 1938.
Among the most collected of all the Royal Doulton derivatives are the musical jugs. These musical jugs were large character jugs in which the inside of the base was raised to accommodate a musical movement that is wound by a key. When lifted, each musical jug plays a song that relates to the character. The titles of the melodies are printed inside the bases. Some of Royal Doultons most celebrated artists created these musical derivatives, including Charles Noke, Harry Fenton and Leslie Harradine. Issued shortly before World War II, production stopped at the wars outbreak making these musical jugs quite rare in the marketplace today.
