Featured Stein - April 2017

So You Think You Have All the Mettlach Book Steins?

By Walt Vogdes

The set of 12  Mettlach "book" steins (model #2001 in its multiple variations, including Cornell University) are a popular collecting objective. But do you have the one seen here?


This stein was produced by Villeroy & Boch in 1991 to celebrate 200 years of "ceramic tradition" in Vaudrevange/Wallerfangen, a sister factory to Mettlach. Like the other steins, the theme of this stein is scholarly study. The books shown around the body list the authors and the titles, in this case naming two of our distinguished SCI Master Steinologists, Thérèse Thomas, and Beatrix Adler. Attesting to the scholarly theme of the stein is the figural owl thumblift, symbolizing study. The stein was produced in a limited edition of 500.

The books depicted on this stein are, reading from the area between the handle attachments, are

• Les Familles Noel de Lys et Villeroy by G. de Braux
• Seigneurie de Fremersdorf by A. de Boch
• DIE ROLLE DER FAMILLES BOCH u. VILLEROY by THERESE THOMAS
• Vaudrevange by HIEGEL
• 1000 Jahre Wallerfagn by Mailänder Krönenberger
• WALLERFANGEN IN ALTEN ANSICHTEN
• christl. Industribetrieb - Villeroy & Boch by K. H. Gorges
• Unternehmen im saarl IndustriegebietI by Hellwig
• Wallerfangen un seine Geschichte by Th. Liebertz
• Keramik Tradition 1791-1991 by B. Adler
• Florange by Adrian de Walderfingen