Staffordshire Pottery Bear’s Grease Jug – Bear and Dog Design, early 1800s

Description

This Staffordshire pottery jug has ‘Bears Grease’ inscribed down the left side of the bear.
The seated bear, wearing a collar and muzzle, with a chain hanging from its mouth, holds a dog in its forepaws.

Fact

The myth of bear’s grease’s effectiveness as a cure for baldness was based on the belief that, as bears were very hairy, their fat would assist hair regrowth.