Its beak is broken, it measures less than five inches high and experts describe its picture as 'primitive'.
But that has not stopped a 19th-century jug from being at the centre of a year-long wrangle to return it to the Norfolk hall which used to be its home – all sparked by a letter from 1910.
The jug ended up in the hands of Norfolk Museums Service in the 1990s. But Charles Tucker, owner of Hindringham Hall, discovered a letter in Norfolk Record Office stating it should never have been separated from the hall.
That letter, to Gerard Gosselin, a former owner of the hall, near Fakenham, was from Prince Frederick Duleep Singh, the son of the last Maharaja of the Punjab.
Dated January 23, 1910 and sent from the prince's home at Blo Norton Hall, it revealed the jug, with its picture of Hindringham Hall, was a gift to Mr Gosselin. A stipulation, however, was it must never be sold and should be turned into an heirloom for later owners.
The discovery sparked a campaign, which began last January, to get the jug back, in a case which has some echoes of the new Helen Mirren film, Woman In Gold – although her character's adversaries in trying to claim back a priceless painting are the Nazis, rather than Norfolk Museums Service.
Mr Tucker wrote to officials stating his case and stressing the public would still get to see the item - which has been on display in the Shirehall Museum, Walsingham – during guided tours of his property.
Returning items from museum collections is strictly against the service policy, but North Norfolk District Council agreed to investigate Mr Tucker's claim.
After several months, it approved the transfer last autumn. However, the case was further held up when the joint museums committee wanted more information and a legal agreement drawn up. The council's solicitors have now done that and on Friday, the committee is due to agree the jug can finally go home.
Steve Miller, head of the museum service, said: 'Whilst a transfer back to the owners of the hall without first offering to other accredited museums is not in line with normal disposal policy, the owners of the hall appear to have a sound claim to the jug.'
Mr Tucker said he did not want to comment before Friday's meeting.
Do you have an unusual heritage story? Email dan.grimmer@archant.co.uk
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