Museum jug smash: Search for boy after repairs

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

Museum staff are trying to find a little boy who was "devastated" after accidentally smashing a historic jug.

Staff at Ipswich's Christchurch Mansion want the boy to know the 18th Century Delftware puzzle jug he knocked off a window ledge last summer has been fixed.

Thanks to a conservation officer's efforts, each of the 65 pieces it broke into have been painstakingly glued.

A campaign has begun to find the boy who is thought to be aged about five.

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

The work on the jug took many painstaking hours to complete

Carole Jones, who is in charge of Ipswich's museums, said: "He was visiting the mansion with his family and this beautiful ancient puzzle jug was on quite a low window ledge.

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

Christchurch Mansion's duty officer Carrie Willis said it took about 65 hours to repair.

The search is on to find the little boy. Ms Jones said: "We don't know who he is, we don't know if the family is from Ipswich, or from further afield.

"But we'd love them to get in touch with the museum, we'd love them to visit again, and to perhaps meet Carrie."

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

Councillor Carole Jones hopes the little boy will see the story of the broken jug has a "happy ending".

The repaired 18th-century jug is back on display at Ipswich Art School in the High Street