Brown ‘Rockingham’ glazed earthenware was made by several potteries at Church Gresley and Woodville in South Derbyshire during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It became known as ‘Measham’ or ‘barge ware’ because much of it was sold at Measham, Leicestershire, to bargees who called there when travelling along the Ashby-de-la-Zouche canal.

Giant teapots were the pieces de resistance and may have miniature teapots as knobs (for example, one in the Fitzwilliam Museum, C.766–1928). Other typical giftware included tobacco jars, jugs, kettles and chamber pots. Unlike most ‘Rockingham’ glazed earthenware, which was usually monochrome, Measham ware was decorated with applied sprigs of flowers and birds in white clay, coloured dark pink, green and blue. These stand out cheerfully from the shiny brown glaze which covers the rest of the surface. In addition some pieces have applied panels impressed in type with phrases, such as ‘LOVE AT HOME’, ‘A PRESENT FROM A FRIEND’ or ‘A PRESENT FROM’ followed by the donor and recipient's names and rarely, the date. This pot, like most Measham ware, is unmarked. It may have been made at Mason's pottery in Church Gresley, later Mason, Cash & Co. whose mark is occasionally found on Measham ware.