Creatively crafted with ornate folk motifs and hand-painted commemorations of historic events, the Miska jug is Hungary's most well-known style of pottery. Typically modeled after Hungarian hussar cavalry warriors, these quaint containers were used as wine vessels for special events in the 19th and early 20th century, literally serving as an important part of Hungarian village life. Budapest's Museum of Ethnography possesses an extensive collection of Miska jugs, and a new temporary exhibit there showcases these picturesque pitchers, giving visitors the chance to examine them up close.

The first known Miska jug dates back to 1824, and over

the next 100 years these stoneware vessels were made in various small villages throughout the southeastern region

of Hungary known as the Great Plain. Kept as a prized possession passed down from generation to generation, these fragile heirlooms were important in traditional Hungarian village life until the early 20th century, used for pouring wine on special occasions like

weddings and funerals. Miska translates to "Mike", and some of these jugs bear inscriptions such as "Drunkard Miska" or "Thirsty Miska".

Each Miska jug is painted with the intricately braided and embroidered uniform and mustachioed visage of a "hussar", a member of the venerable cavalry in the Hungarian army of years gone by. Other motifs include a writhing snake – a folk symbol of eternal life – on the handle or belly. Through these representations, the craftsmen behind each jug kept the courage and bravery of the hussars alive.

While only a small number of the original jugs remain, the Museum of Ethnography preserves an excellent collection of them, now showcased with their own exhibit that details the individual stories behind each of the ones on display, along with many others that not on view here. These fanciful flagons tell the tales of the craftsmen that created them, along with why certain symbols were selected for each jug, offering glimpses into rural Hungarian life to reveal the values, traditions, and culture of times past.

This exhibit is on view at the Museum of Ethnography through September 21 – check out the museum website for more information.