Featured Stein: January 2015
 

~ A Stein with "Extra Fine Artistic Execution" ~
Dümler & Breiden #541

By Dr. Casey J. Hayes

The „Nähere Bezeichnung“ or „Detailed Description“  from the Dümler & Breiden Catalogue, ca. 1900, lists #541 as a:

 „Jagd-Humpen mit großem jäger auf dem Anstande, Hirschjagd und Sauhatz extra feine künstlerische Ausführung“.

Translation:

“Hunting tankard with great hunter on the decorum, hunting deer and wild boar hunt extra fine artistic execution”.

At a cost of 15 marks 20, there are only three steins listed in this particular catalogue that cost more than #541, with one stein priced the same (a 4.5 liter “altdeutscher Bauernhochzeit” Stein)  Clearly, Dümler & Brieden were extremely proud of this particular 3 liter stein, as it is the only 3 liter listed in this high of a price point.  Those steins costing more were a 4 liter “Wacht am Rhein” stein (16 marks),  a 6 liter “König Solomo” Stein (20 marks) and 7.5 liter „Bierkrug mit germanische Büffel- und Barenjagd“ (20 marks 80).

When I first purchased this stein at an auction two years ago, I really had no idea what it was I was purchasing.  It was an online auction and it was one stein in a collection of three that had a lovely musical stein as one of the lot.  In any event, this stein ended up being the jewel of my “non-musical” collection.  I have a fondness for high relief steins such as this anyway, but I had no idea of the vibrancy and diversity of the color palette from the pictures, as it was covered with layers of dirt, grease, smoke residue and what appeared to be coffee stains.  It took two weeks of cleaning through the layers, at times sitting for eight hours with little more than cotton swabs and warm water.  When ultimately unveiled, this stein truly lived up to its description of “extra fine artistic execution”.