Colorful high relief vintage German stoneware beer stein mug, most likely made by Rosskopf & Gerz or Eckhardt & Engler. The center panel features an old man playing the zither surrounded by two women. The high relief center panel decoration was taken from an 1876 painting entitled “Der Zitherspieler” (The Zither Player) by Franz Defregger (1835-1921). The other two panels feature in high relief, depictions of a house or cabin (Sommer das Haus) on the water.
Roughly translated, "da ist es schön Auf der Alm", the saying says, "It is beautiful there on the mountain meadow"
The Westerwald ceramics firm of Rosskopf & Gerz (RuG) was formed in 1901 as a partnership between Wilhelm Rosskopf, an artist/modeler, and Alois Jac. Gerz, a businessman, both of whom had been previously employed by the firm of Reinhold Hanke, at the time one of the Westerwald’s most prominent steinmakers. However, the partnership did not last long, with Rosskopf leaving the firm in 1905. Gerz continued to operate the company on his own for the next eight years, but passed away in 1913. By 1917 all production is believed to have ceased.
Sometime around 1922, the firm of Eckhardt & Engler acquired all of the molds for beer steins and other objects that had originally been produced by Rosskopf & Gerz. Eckhardt & Engler continued to operate until 1971, reproducing many (if not all) of the RuG steins and marking them with the same mold numbers.
This vintage German stoneware beer stein tankard mug is in excellent condition, with no chips, cracks or crazing or other damage to note. Measures 7" tall to the lip of the beer stein mug, 3-7/8" diameter at the base tapering up to 2.75" in diameter at the lip of the stein. Weighs 1 pound 7.1 ounces.
Marked behind the handle with "477" which matches the design of Rosskopf & Gerz. Marked also on the bottom with MADE IN GERMANY and impressed with a number 5. A hole in the top of the stein handle was intentional and used for the owner to have made a pewter lid. Marked with the size on the lip with 0.5L (1/2 liter).
A1762 - Vintage German Rosskopf & Gerz stoneware Beer Stein Mug - On the Mountain Meadow #477
$46.00
