Puzzle jug

An inscription typically challenges the drinker to consume the contents without spilling them, which, because the neck of the jug is perforated, is impossible to do conventionally.

The tube usually runs around the rim and then down the handle, with its other opening inside the jug and near the bottom.

To make the puzzle more interesting, it was common to provide a number of additional holes along the tube, which must be closed off before the contents could be sucked.

The earliest example in England is the Exeter puzzle jug—an example of medieval pottery in Britain.

The Exeter puzzle jug dates from about AD 1300 and was originally made in Saintonge, Western France.