Tag: pitcher

Wikipedia says: In American English, a pitcher is a container with a spout used for storing and pouring liquids. In English-speaking countries outside North America, a jug is any container with a handle and a mouth and spout for liquid – American “pitchers” will be called jugs elsewhere. Generally a pitcher also has a handle, which makes pouring easier.

A ewer is an older word for pitchers or jugs of any type, though tending to be used for a vase-shaped pitcher, often decorated, with a base and a flaring spout. The word is now unusual in informal English describing ordinary domestic vessels. A notable ewer is the America’s Cup, which is awarded to the winning team of the America’s Cup sailing regatta match.

In modern British English, the only use of “pitcher” is when beer is sold by the pitcher in bars and restaurants, following the American style.

An early mention of a pitcher occurs in the Book of Genesis, when Rebekah comes to Abraham’s servant bearing a vessel with water. In the Book of Judges, Gideon gives empty pitchers containing lamps to three hundred men divided into three companies. In the gospels of Mark and Luke, Jesus tells two of his disciples to go into the city of Jerusalem, where they will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water, and instructs them to follow him to locate the upper room to be used for the Last Supper.

The pitcher of Marwan Ibn Mohammad, on display at the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, predates the 8th century.

During the Tang dynasty, ewers fashioned from glazed earthenware bore illustrations of Persian textiles and metalwork and depicted increased cultural diversity in populated Chinese cities. Once coveted by the upper classes, ewers eventually became commonplace.