Late 18th-Century German Antique Muskau Stoneware Beer Stein / Tankard, With A Pewter Lid

A German antique stoneware beer stein /tankard decorated in salt-glaze. Known as “Muskau stoneware.”

About “Muskau stoneware” (an extract from reference materials)…

In Lusatia is to be found the most easterly area for the production of salt-glazed stoneware. The pottery tradition of the town of Muskau appears to date back just as far as that of Waldenburg (the latter has records indicating that pottery was made as early as 1388). It would also appear that the technology of vitreous firing was mastered at an early stage — findings indicate the end of the 15th century. As similar stoneware was manufactured in localities to the east of the Neisse River, such as Triebel and Teuplitz (now in Poland), it is not easy to distinguish among the products from the individual towns. The term “Muskau stoneware” is therefore often used for products from the whole of Lusatia (Lusatia is the area of eastern Germany and south-western Poland bound by the Lusatian Mountains and the Oder River.)

The prime era of Lusatian pottery was in the 17th and 18th centuries. There was no other centre of stoneware production in which such a variety of vessel forms, types of decorations and body colouring occurred as in Lusatia. Furnaces were used with an oxidising atmosphere to obtain brown colouring, and a reducing atmosphere to obtain grey. In addition, there was at least one pottery where the vessels were covered with a brown glaze. Decorations included appliques, incised networks and drawings, circular ornamentation, and mounted quartz pebbles. One feature common to the majority of vessels, and thus an unmistakable sign of Lusatian origin, is the diagonal and vertical chip-carving on the lower portions of the sides. The most important vessel forms are egg-and-pear-shaped jugs, pitchers with spouts, and screw-top flasks with smooth sides, their edges protected by rope-like moulding. Grey vessels with incised drawings and cobalt-blue and manganese-purple colouration are similar to Westerwald products. It is still not clear to what extent there were any links between these areas in the second half of the 17th century.

About this tankard…

Late 18th-century in date.

Of typical baluster form with a pewter lid, acorn-shaped thumb catch and stoneware handle. The surface of the tankard is decorated with several incised and applied patterns and covered with a black oxide-based glaze.

Provenance – Unknown.

Condition – Please refer to the images. Good overall. There is a very small frit to the internal surface of the tankard’s rim (see image). This doesn’t detract from the item which displays very well.

Size – Height 26 cm (10″)