A rare Staffordshire pottery two-handled leech jar and cover

A rare Staffordshire pottery two-handled leech jar and cover, bearing the gilt inscription 'Leeches' on a dark blue banner, with pierced lid, 30cm. (2) Jars of this type were used to store medicinal leeches (Hirudo medicinalis), the pierced top allowing them to breathe. The word leech is likely to have derived from the Old English word 'l?ce', meaning 'physician'.