Cookie Jars

Cookie jars didn’t always look like owls and pigs.
Before the early 1900s, cookies were kept in plain tins, glass biscuit jars, or crocks. Practical, simple, and usually tucked out of sight.
But then kitchens started to change.
By the 1920s and 30s, kitchens became brighter, more welcoming, and part of everyday life. When things moved out onto the counter, people wanted them to look nice.
At the same time, advances in ceramic production made it easier and more affordable to create colorful, detailed designs. Pottery companies leaned into it, turning everyday storage into something with personality.
Add in the Great Depression, when small, cheerful items brought comfort without costing much, and the postwar boom of gift giving, and the cookie jar became more than just useful.
By the 1940s and 50s, they had fully taken on a life of their own. Animals, characters, cottages—each one adding a little charm to the kitchen.
But, of course, once the cookie jar made it to the counter…
the temptation was never out of reach.