This handmade terracotta ‘botijo’ is a traditional unglazed Spanish jug, the ancient and ingenious design of which has been perfected over centuries for the cooling and serving of fresh drinking water. Shaped in the time-honoured way, with a gently rounded body, top handle and two spouts, the wider one is used to fill the jug, while the narrow spout is designed to pour a thin stream of water into the mouth of the drinker when the pot is hefted into the air. As this was often a shared bottle, touching the spout with one’s lips was taboo! The explanation behind the botijo’s mysterious cooling powers is quite remarkable: when the jug is full, water completely permeates the porous, unglazed clay. Then, the water molecules on the surface evaporate, taking warmth with them. As a result, the water inside the botijo cools down. This fine 19th-century example is petite in size, and has been simply decorated in the traditional way with rustic design of leaves and scrolls.