The Basse Yutz Flagons are a pair of Iron Age ceremonial drinking vessels that date from the mid 5th century BCE. Since their discovery in ill-documented circumstances in the 1920s and their subsequent purchase by the British Museum , they have been described as "great masterpieces" that "combine most of the key features of early Celtic Art ". They are in many respects very similar to the Dürrnberg Flagon found in Austria.
20-397: The almost identical pair of flagons imitate the shape of contemporary Etruscan flagons and are made of a copper alloy that was skilfully beaten into shape from a single sheet of metal. The base was cast to size and decorated with 120 pieces of red coral and glass and then attached using resin. Resin is also used to coat the inside, which makes the flagon watertight. The cast spout and lid
40-427: A cup . A flagon is typically of about 2 imperial pints (1.1 L) in volume , and it has either a handle (when strictly it is a jug ), or (more usually) one or two rings at the neck. Sometimes the neck has a large flange at the top rather than rings. The neck itself may or may not be formed into one, two or three spouts. The name comes from the same origin as the word "flask". As a Roman Catholic term of use,
60-406: A litre , generally holding between 64 and 128 U.S. fluid ounces , approximately 2-4 litres. In New Zealand and Australia a pitcher sometimes can refer to a much larger measure of beer.) In Britain in those parts of the country where there is a choice between a pint (20 fluid ounces) tankard and a straight glass of beer, a tankard may be called a tankard or a "jug". A jug of beer may also refer to
80-434: A "jug" refers to a plastic container filled with two pints (just over a litre ) of beer . It is usually served along with one or more small glasses from which the beer is normally consumed, although in some student bars it is more common for the beer to be drunk directly from the jug, which is usually served without the accompanying glass. (In the U.S., this may be called a pitcher —although few US pitchers are as small as
100-444: A jug containing larger amounts (usually sized in pints), but if a large jug is sold it will be advertised as such in the pub and this helps to reduce confusion. In American folk music, an empty jug (often stoneware used for American whiskey ) is sometimes used as a musical instrument, being played with buzzed lips to produce a trombone -like tone. It is often part of a jug band , to which ensemble it lends its name. In addition to
120-509: A pair of Etruscan bronze stamnoi or vessels for wine-mixing that date from the same period (also now in the British Museum). Other comparable Celtic adaptions of the classical flagon shape have survived. Among them, a late 5th-century example from a chariot-burial at Dürrnberg (now Keltenmuseum in Hallein , Austria ) has similar animals to the three dogs, and human heads at the bottom of
140-399: Is attached using pins into a cutout made in the copper sheet body. X-rays reveal that the resin and the pins were the only materials used by the artisans to assemble these artefacts; although there is some evidence of solder that dates from the 20th century. The bases were apparently left open until the end of construction and the flagons were only water-tight because of a coating of resin over
160-537: Is mingled with the wine before consecration. The cruets do not remain on the altar after the preparation of the gifts. In the Anglican Church, the flagon is the vessel that contains the wine to be consecrated. If more than one chalice is used during the administration of Communion, the flagon (or an additional cruet filled with wine and water) is placed on the altar at the Offertory, and other chalices are brought to
180-478: Is now common. In British English , jugs are pouring vessels for holding drinkable liquids, whether beer, water or soft drinks. In North American English these table jugs are usually called pitchers . Ewer is an older word for jugs or pitchers, and there are several others, such as flagon . Several other types of containers are also called jugs, depending on locale, tradition, and personal preference. Some types of bottles can be called jugs, particularly if
200-574: The altar after the Breaking of the Bread. There should be only one chalice on the altar during the Great Thanksgiving. In New Zealand, a flagon refers to a glass vessel filled with beer available in public bars or bottle stores. Drinkers could take their own washed flagons or swap their empties for those pre-filled, corked, and ready for sale. The flagon was followed by the half-gallon (2.27 L) jar and
220-503: The bottom with a human face. The idea of a dog or other animal for a handle comes from Greek and Etruscan culture, as does the motif of two crouching animals lying around the rim, as well as the head at the bottom of the handle. The duck on the spout is a Celtic addition to the scheme. The eyes of the duck and the dogs have been finished by using a complex drill bit and they were drilled by the same person. Both vessels measure just over 40 cm in height. The drinking vessels were found with
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#1732852111625240-467: The container has a narrow mouth and has a handle. Closures such as stoppers or screw caps are common for these retail packages. The word jug is first recorded in the late 15th century as jugge or jubbe . It is of unknown origin, but perhaps comes from jug a term for a maidservant, in the same period. This in turn comes from the alteration of common personal names such as Joan or Judith. In certain countries, especially New Zealand and Australia,
260-701: The designs of palm leaves indicate cultural links to Egypt, and tin in the alloy would probably have come from Cornwall in England. The basic idea of a flagon in this shape comes from Italy, but these artefacts show that the people we know as "the Celts ", although illiterate, had a complex and sophisticated culture of their own. Flagon A flagon ( / ˈ f l æ ɡ ən / ) is a large leather, metal, glass, plastic or ceramic vessel, used for storing and pouring drink, whether this be water, ale, or another liquid. They are generally not intended to be drunk from directly, like
280-470: The flagon is the large vessel, usually glass and metal, that holds the wine. Before March 2002, a flagon may have also been used to hold the wine during the consecration of the Eucharist and then be poured into many chalices. This pouring of sacramental wine from flagon to chalice was eliminated. A smaller container called a cruet is used for the priest's chalice, usually identical to the cruet of water, which
300-533: The grave of an important Celtic dignitary from the local Iron Age . Unfortunately, little is known of the local circumstances of their discovery, as the grave was dug illicitly without the help of trained archeologists. Within two years of the discovery, all four objects were sold to the British Museum. They were bought for £5,000 which was a substantial sum, especially as many thought they were too sophisticated to be genuine. The Basse Yutz flagons represent one of
320-486: The handle as well as on the lid. Here the whole body is decorated with raised vertical ribs with an elegant abstracted design suggesting plant-forms at top and bottom. The flagon only uses bronze. Other examples are from Kleinaspergle , Hohenasperg , near Stuttgart , and Borsch. The two flagons and two stamnoi were apparently found in 1927 during the course of railway construction in the town of Basse Yutz , Moselle, eastern France. The excavators had probably discovered
340-642: The high points of La Tène Celtic art. Very few other objects from that era can compare in terms of aesthetic quality and elegance. The two flagons were featured in the BBC Radio 4 series A History of the World in 100 Objects in 2010, where the flagons were put in context. At the time of their manufacture there were no cities in non-Mediterranean Europe, but there were small communities with skilful metal-working facilities. The flagons show also that these communities had trading links with more distant areas of Europe: shapes in
360-413: The whole inside of the vessel. They had evidently been well-used, and the chains currently attaching the stoppers on the lids are later additions that had been made to replace earlier fittings. The flagons are richly decorated with glass and coral inlays and a range of animals on the lid. Time has faded the coral but the pieces would have been brightly coloured. The handle is formed as a dog, terminating at
380-452: Was 2 gallons (9 liters) or more (hence the "2 g" flagon). Before this change winemakers could only sell wine from hotels. A half-gallon flagon was a common volume used for beer. Jug A jug is a type of container commonly used to hold liquids. It has an opening, sometimes narrow, from which to pour or drink, and has a handle, and often a pouring lip. Jugs throughout history have been made of metal, ceramic, or glass, and plastic
400-399: Was preceded by the square rigger and the bluey. These were commonly used during the period of six-o'clock closing of bars. A flagon can hold different volumes of beer or wine and is thought to have originated from an amendment to the licensing laws, which took effect in 1881. The amendment allowed winemakers to sell wine from their vineyards for off-license consumption, so long as the quantity
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