an 18th Century Delftware puzzle jug had broken into 65 pieces

Ipswich museum jug smash boy's family 'thrilled'

• 5 July 2015
 
• From the sectionSuffolk

Carrie Willis took on the project to repair the jug as part of her conservation technician training

The mother of a little boy who accidentally smashed an 18th Century jug has said the family is "thrilled" it has been repaired.

Staff at Ipswich's Christchurch Mansion appealed for him to get in touch, so they could tell him the jug he knocked off a window ledge was now fixed.

The boy's mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, contacted the museum after reading about the appeal online.

The Delftware puzzle jug had broken into 65 pieces.

Each of the 65 pieces of the jug was logged and photographed as part of the repair project

It took about 65 hours of work to repair the 221-year-old jug

Original versions of the jug can fetch thousand of pounds at auction.

The boy was thought to be about five when the accident happened last summer.

A spokesman for Ipswich Borough Council said: "The appeal to find the mystery boy attracted media interest not only here in Suffolk, but throughout the UK and even America and South Africa.

"We received a call from his mother who told us the family were delighted that the puzzle jug had been repaired but that the family wished to remain anonymous. We only know the family were visitors from somewhere in the South East."

Carole Jones, who is in charge of Ipswich's museums, said the boy knocked the 221-year-old "beautiful, ancient puzzle jug" from a low window ledge.

"He knocked it off and it smashed into about 60 pieces," she said. "He was of course, absolutely devastated, and his family were really upset."

The restored jug has been moved from Christchurch Mansion and is on display at the Ipswich Art Museum in the High Street.

A puzzle jug has three spouts - so users have to guess from which water will pour