GERMAN CERAMIC AND PEWTER BEER STEIN WITH POLISH HERALDIC DECORATION –

OVERVIEW:
A SUBSTANTIAL GERMAN BEER STEIN FEATURING A CERAMIC BODY DECORATED WITH APPLIED HERALDIC SHIELDS REPRESENTING POLISH CITIES AND REGIONS, MOUNTED WITH A TIERED PEWTER LID AND BRASS HANDLE. THE STEIN EXEMPLIFIES THE SOUVENIR WARE TRADITION OF LATE 19TH-CENTURY GERMAN CERAMICS, SPECIFICALLY COMMEMORATING POLISH CITIES INCLUDING WARSAW, KRAKÓW, GDANSK, AND POZNAN.

SPECIFICATIONS:
- BODY: CREAM-COLOURED CERAMIC WITH HAND-PAINTED AND APPLIED HERALDIC DECORATION
- HERALDIC ELEMENTS: FOUR DISTINCT SHIELD CARTOUCHES FEATURING THE COATS OF ARMS OF MAJOR POLISH CITIES. THE DOMINANT SHIELD DISPLAYS THE POLISH NATIONAL EAGLE (WHITE EAGLE ON RED FIELD) WITH CROWN. ADDITIONAL SHIELDS SHOW CITY-SPECIFIC HERALDRY INCLUDING THE KRAKÓW EAGLE AND GDANSK COAT OF ARMS. RED AND BLUE ENAMELLING WITH GILT DETAILING TO BORDERS AND FRAMES
- LID: TIERED PEWTER CONSTRUCTION WITH ORNAMENTAL FINIAL. HINGED MECHANISM WITH BRASS PIN FASTENING
- HANDLE: CURVED BRASS HANDLE WITH BEADED OR ROPE-TWIST DETAILING, SOLDERED TO BODY AT TWO POINTS
- BASE: CERAMIC BASE WITH IMPRESSED MAKER'S MARKS AND REGISTRATION NUMBERS VISIBLE ON UNDERSIDE
- INTERIOR: CREAM-COLOURED CERAMIC GLAZE, UNMARKED

CONDITION: THE CERAMIC BODY IS SOUND WITH NO CHIPS, CRACKS, OR HAIRLINE FRACTURES. THE DECORATIVE ENAMELLING REMAINS VIBRANT AND LARGELY COMPLETE, WITH MINOR WEAR TO GILT BORDERS CONSISTENT WITH AGE. THE PEWTER LID SHOWS APPROPRIATE PATINA AND OXIDATION. HINGES REMAIN FUNCTIONAL. THE BRASS HANDLE DISPLAYS WARM PATINA. NO RESTORATION OR REPAIR WORK IS EVIDENT.

PROVENANCE: THE STEIN REPRESENTS A CATEGORY OF GERMAN SOUVENIR CERAMICS PRODUCED FOR THE TOURIST AND COMMEMORATIVE MARKET IN THE LATE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURIES, PARTICULARLY POPULAR AMONG TRAVELLERS TO CENTRAL EUROPE. THE SPECIFIC COMBINATION OF POLISH CITY HERALDRY SUGGESTS THIS PIECE WAS EITHER A SOUVENIR OF TRAVEL TO POLAND OR A COMMEMORATIVE PIECE FOR A GERMAN COLLECTOR WITH POLISH CONNECTIONS.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT: STEINS OF THIS TYPE WERE MANUFACTURED IN SIGNIFICANT QUANTITIES BY GERMAN POTTERIES, PARTICULARLY IN BAVARIA AND THE RHINELAND. THE INCLUSION OF MULTIPLE POLISH CITY SHIELDS INDICATES THIS WAS LIKELY PRODUCED AS A SPECIAL COMMISSION OR AS PART OF A BROADER EUROPEAN CITIES SERIES. THE QUALITY OF THE ENAMELLING AND THE SUBSTANTIAL PEWTER FITTINGS SUGGEST THIS WAS A MID-RANGE TO PREMIUM EXAMPLE OF THE CATEGORY.

Item Size: Height: 41cm, Width: 25cm, Depth: 30cm, Weight: 2Kg

Condition: Good

TOORMINA
548763+10

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