GERMAN STONEWARE BEER STEINS WITH PEWTER LIDS - VILLEROY & BOCH CIRCA 1880-1900

OVERVIEW:
A FINE SET OF TWO GERMAN SALT-GLAZED STONEWARE BEER STEINS WITH HINGED AND DOMED PEWTER LIDS, DECORATED WITH HAND-PAINTED ENAMEL SCENES ON COBALT BLUE GROUNDS. EACH STEIN FEATURES TRADITIONAL GERMAN DRINKING MOTIFS WITH FIGURES IN PERIOD COSTUME ENGAGED IN FESTIVE SCENES, SEPARATED BY ORNAMENTAL FOLIATE PANELS IN CREAM AND GILT. THE STEINS REPRESENT THE HEIGHT OF LATE 19TH-CENTURY GERMAN CERAMIC CRAFTSMANSHIP, COMBINING ROBUST STONEWARE CONSTRUCTION WITH FINE DECORATIVE METALWORK.

SPECIFICATIONS:
- MAKER: VILLEROY & BOCH, GERMAN CERAMIC MANUFACTURER
- PERIOD: CIRCA 1880-1900, LATE VICTORIAN ERA
- PRIMARY MATERIAL: SALT-GLAZED STONEWARE WITH COBALT BLUE GROUND
- SECONDARY MATERIALS: PEWTER LIDS WITH BIRD FINIALS, BRASS DECORATIVE BANDS, HAND-PAINTED ENAMEL DECORATION
- HEIGHT: APPROXIMATELY 27 CM
- DIAMETER: APPROXIMATELY 11 CM
- CAPACITY: APPROXIMATELY 0.5 LITRE (STANDARD GERMAN BEER STEIN MEASURE)
- MARKS: IMPRESSED CIRCULAR BEEHIVE MARK WITH V&B MONOGRAM ON BASES, NUMBERED '7' AND '8'
- INSCRIPTIONS: ONE STEINS BEAR GERMAN TEXT RELATING TO DRINKING AND EMOTION ('TRINK ALLERLEI', 'UND LEID', 'FREUD')

CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN:
EACH STEIN IS HAND-THROWN STONEWARE WITH APPLIED RELIEF DECORATION AND HAND-PAINTED ENAMEL WORK. THE COBALT BLUE GROUND PROVIDES A STRIKING CONTRAST TO THE CREAM AND GILT FOLIATE ORNAMENT. THE HINGED PEWTER LIDS FEATURE CAST BIRD FINIALS—ONE PAIR WITH EAGLE-FORM BIRDS, THE OTHER WITH SIMPLER DOMED COVERS. THE BRASS DECORATIVE BANDS AT THE RIM AND BASE ARE PERIOD-ORIGINAL AND SHOW APPROPRIATE PATINA. THE HANDLES ARE STURDY LOOP FORMS, INTEGRAL TO THE STONEWARE BODY.

CONDITION:
THE STEINS ARE IN GOOD CONDITION CONSISTENT WITH AGE AND USE. THE STONEWARE BODIES DISPLAY NATURAL CRAZING TYPICAL OF SALT-GLAZED CERAMICS, WHICH IS NOT A DEFECT BUT EVIDENCE OF AUTHENTIC FIRING AND AGE. THE ENAMEL DECORATION SHOWS MINOR WEAR TO GILDED HIGHLIGHTS ON SOME PANELS, PARTICULARLY TO THE UPPER DECORATIVE BANDS. NO CHIPS TO THE RIMS ARE PRESENT. THE PEWTER LIDS SHOW NATURAL OXIDATION PATINA; THE HINGES REMAIN FUNCTIONAL. ALL FOUR STEINS ARE COMPLETE WITH THEIR ORIGINAL LIDS AND HARDWARE INTACT.

PROVENANCE AND SIGNIFICANCE:
THESE STEINS EXEMPLIFY THE GERMAN BEER STEIN TRADITION AT ITS FINEST. VILLEROY & BOCH, FOUNDED IN 1748, BECAME ONE OF EUROPE'S LEADING CERAMIC MANUFACTURERS. THE COMBINATION OF ROBUST STONEWARE WITH FINE METALWORK AND HAND-PAINTED DECORATION REFLECTS THE HIGH REGARD IN WHICH GERMAN DRINKING VESSELS WERE HELD DURING THE LATE 19TH CENTURY. SUCH STEINS WERE BOTH FUNCTIONAL TABLEWARE AND DECORATIVE OBJECTS, OFTEN DISPLAYED PROMINENTLY IN GERMAN HOMES AND PUBLIC HOUSES. THE INSCRIPTIONS RELATING TO DRINKING AND EMOTION ('DRINK ALL KINDS', 'AND SORROW', 'JOY') ARE TYPICAL OF THE SENTIMENTAL GERMAN DRINKING CULTURE OF THE PERIOD.

Item Size: Height: 31cm, Width: 25cm, Depth: 30cm, Weight: 3Kg

Condition: Good

TOORMINA
548763+7

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