COLLECTING

BEERSTEINSAn introduction to the hobby

Published byStein Collectors International, Inc.

revised 2016

visit us on the webwww.stein-collectors.org

© Stein Collectors International, 2016all rights reserved

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WHAT IS A BEER STEIN?When American stein collectors travel to Germany, they oftenmake the mistake of asking about “beer steins.” Unfortunately,although the word “stein” is taken from the German language,by itself it translates as stone in German and does not refer toa drinking vessel!

While produced in a number of different materials, steins havebeen made in Germany for more than 600 years in a hard, vit-rified ceramic material called stoneware (German: Steinzeug).Beer steins made of this material have been referred to asBierkrug or Steinkrug (beer or stone jug). The term we Ameri-cans know as “stein” stems from this definition.

Today, collectors have settled on a definition for a steinthat includes a handle and either a hinged or a set-onlid. Some insist that the vessel be intended for drinking,

which would eliminate what oth-ers have accepted as “servingsteins” or “master steins.” With-out the lid, the vessel is called amug. With set-on lid but no han-dle, it is termed a Pokal. Withneither lid nor handle, it is con-sidered a beaker.

The stein seen here is a verytypical Bavarian shape with dec-oration featuring the MunichChild, the ancient symbol of the

city of Munich. The lid is a low relief of the cityscape, while thefigural thumblift depicts the twin towers of the Frauenkirche, theChurch of Our Lady in Munich.

Beer steins come in all sizes, shapes and materials, such asglass, pottery (earthenware), pewter, porcelain, stoneware,faience, etc. There are even rarer examples carved from wood,made from leather, ivory, ostrich eggs, and horns. Royalty oc-casionally had steins of pure gold or silver. An extraordinaryvariety of age, materials, geographic origin, manufacturers,style, shape and decoration make steins a particularly rich fieldfor collectors.

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LIDS, THUMBLIFTS AND LITHOPHANES

The majority of stein lids are castpewter, and they come in a widevariety of shapes, including sim-ple domes, relief scenes andconical shapes. In other in-stances steins were comprisedof a pewter ring with a ceramicinsert, often matching the designon the body. Sometimes this ce-ramic insert will show a com-plete three-dimensional figure.

Lithophanes may often be foundin porcelain steins, especiallyregimentals, occupational, stu-dent steins and some charac-ters. They are quite a surprisewhen you first see one. Theyrely on porcelain’s property oftranslucence, and a detailedscene is formed by varying thethickness of the material. Theyare formed in a porcelain diskwhich has been molded with arelief scene. A craftsman thenuses special tools to sharpenthe details before the disk isadded as the base of a stein.

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The lid at top right was cast in pewter with a relief scene ofthe city of Munich, and it includes a Bavarian lion as thumblift.The second lid has a stoneware insert within a ring of pewter.

The image at right is a lithophane in thebase of a porcelain stein. This is theview the drinker will get after emptyingthe stein!

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WHY DO STEINS HAVE LIDS?Perhaps not the first question about steins but certainly a com-mon and persistent one is, “Why do beer steins have lids?” Foryears we have been told that the lids were intended to counterthe spread of the Bubonic Plague by flies, and that in the early1500’s lids were required by “covered container laws,” widelyadopted and enforced in German principalities. Sometimes thepewter guilds are held up as the driving force, since they wouldcertainly have an interest in providing lids for all manner ofdrinking vessels.

Unfortunately, this theory is both illogical and unsupportable:fleas spread the plague, not flies; the plague had run its coursein Germany well over 100 years prior to the supposed enact-ment of such laws; drinking vessels are often illustrated in 16thand 17th century paintings without lids in apparent violation ofthese “laws”; many other vessels used for eating and drinkingapparently escaped these laws; and no documentation hasbeen found of a single covered container law or guild law re-quiring lids – despite repeated efforts to find them. We might betempted to shrug our shoulders and simply conclude that in thepast 500 years the records have simply been lost, but then,much documentation is available relative to guild rules, and theRheinheitsgebot (commonly known as the German Beer Pu-rity Law), enacted in Bavaria in 1516, is quite well documented.Further, pewter was expensive, and although it was used forhinged lids in the 15th and 16th centuries, its use would havebeen limited to the upper classes for many years. (The English“Book of Rates” for 1545 established a customs value forpewter-covered stoneware vessels imported from Europe atexactly twice the value of those without covers.)

So why do steins have lids? At the time pewter lids began toappear, homes and beer gardens were dusty, dirty places, andflies and other insects were very bothersome. Farm animalsoften shared shelter with their owners, and straw-thatchedroofs contributed to a general lack of cleanliness. There wereno waste management systems, and water sources were oftenunfit for drinking. No wonder people got sick, and of course, ill-ness was spread by coughing, sneezing or other unsanitarycontact. Covering your drink simply made common sense. Lids

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were also probably seen as a way to keep a drink at its origi-nal serving temperature while it was being enjoyed. And, asstoneware drinking vessels came into wider use, they evolvedfrom strictly utilitarian forms to more artistic shapes and adorn-ments, enhanced by pewter mounts. By the 16th centurypewter lids had gained favor for utilitarian as well as aestheticpurposes, and had become a cultural tradition in Germany.

This revisionist thinking is credited to the critical analysis and research performed by Stephen Smith and Ginger Gehres.

Now let us explore some major stein categories.

EARLY STONEWARESTEINSAn 18th century Westerwald blue andgray saltglazed stein with applied relief.

Stoneware steins date from thelate 15th century in Germany, andfor the first three hundred yearstheir production centers were pri-marily east-west across the centerof Germany. Factories were of ne-cessity located near suitable claydeposits and plentiful fuel (timber)supplies. The clay was thrown on a potter’s wheel and kiln-firedat 1200 degrees Celsius using a saltglaze process. Salt com-bined with elements in the clay causing the clay to partially vit-rify into a dense non-porous material similar to stone. In lateryears a colored glaze was also applied to the stein prior to fir-ing to add artistic interest. Applied or incised animal or floralarrangements around the body of the stein were common. Thepewter lids had a small shell-shaped or other thin thumb lift onthe earliest steins, or a hollow-soldered-ball thumblift on 18thcentury examples.

Large deposits of clay were found near the confluence of theMosel and the Rhine rivers in the Westerwald region, alongwith a good supply of timber. Because of these factors, thegreatest quantities of steins with the longest time-span of pro-

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duction come from this region of Germany. These steins aregenerally found with blue, gray, and purple decoration under aclear saltglaze. The decoration is generally repeating. Touch-marks are often found on the lids of these steins and can behelpful in dating them. Many of the more ornate Westerwaldsteins also had a pewter foot ring to protect the base from chip-ping, thus adding to the complexity of the piece.

FAIENCE STEINSAn Austrian faience stein dated 1852 in the dec-oration. Very nice!

Faience, a tin-glazed earthenware witha bright white ground, originated inFaenza, Italy in the 15th century,spreading slowly into other Europeancountries. Faience was Europe’s an-swer to the extremely expensive Chi-nese porcelain wares imported to thecontinent as early as 800 A.D. Again,the factories were located near large

clay deposits. The clay was mixed with other minerals to pro-duce a lighter and more porous material than stoneware. Thebody of the stein was formed on the potter’s wheel and fired ina kiln. Next it was dipped into a milk-white liquid tin glaze toproduce a smooth white surface similar to the porcelain it at-tempted to emulate. After drying, the stein body was paintedwith various colored glazes and fired a second time. Theprocess was time consuming but the steins that survive speakto the worthiness of the effort. In Germany today, these steinsare considered historic works of decorative art and are on dis-play in many museums throughout that country. The painteddesigns include animals, architectural scenes, birds, coats ofarms, figural scenes, floral decor, occupational themes, reli-gious scenes, verses, etc. Because faience is a relatively softand fragile material, these steins were typically encircled by apewter foot ring and lip ring to protect against chipping. Suchold steins are rarely seen without some imperfections or hair-line cracks. Collectors take this into consideration, given thematerial used in production.

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GLASS STEINSA green glass stein enameled with thescene of a knight. The matching glassinlay of the lid greatly enhances thisstein.

Glass has been produced forthousands of years with exam-ples dating back to the Egyp-tians, primarily in the form ofbeads for ornamentation. ThePhoenicians expanded produc-tion to include drinking vessels.Glass steins in Europe, and par-ticularly in Germany, date fromthe 15th century though largerproduction occurred in the 18thcentury. The plastic property ofmolten glass enabled a wide va-riety of shapes and decorativetechniques. Glass steins fromthe 1700’s and 1800’s are gen-erally mouthblown and wheelcut,and are often decorated by copperwheel engraving, and fit withpewter lids. Milk glass was introduced later and painted muchin the style of faience steins. Enameled glass steins followed inthe 1800’s. Different mineral oxides were used to infuse theglass with colors of ruby red (gold was initially used to producethe color), cobalt blue, etc. By the mid-1800’s wheel-cut over-lay steins were laboriously produced. Different colors of glasswere laid one over the other, with the engraver producing intri-cate geometric and floral designs when cutting through the dif-ferent layers. Toward the end of the 1800’s molten glass wasblown into molds, which made glass steins more affordable.

Pressed glass, in which glass is pressed into a mold by aplunger or piston, was invented in the early 1800’s. Pressedglass steins began to appear in mid-century.

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PEWTER STEINSAn 18th century pewter occupational steinbears the tools of the carpenter’s trade.

Pewter is an alloy containing prima-rily tin, and when combined with othermetals (bismuth, antimony, copper,brass, and lead) can easily be workedand formed. Pewter steins generallydate from the early 16th century al-though other types of pewter drinkingvessels go back to the Bronze Age.Historically pewter has been expen-sive and with the arrival of earthen-ware in the 18th century, its popularitydeclined. A resurgence of pewter oc-curred during the period 1850 to 1900

when designs from bygone epochs were in demand. Most ofthe imitations of this period were of fine quality and workman-ship and were quite expensive. Pewter is lauded for its sim-plicity. The form is all important. Pewter pieces are formed bycasting and sheet spinning. Finishing is done by turning andvarious other hand works. Steins were decorated by engrav-ing, etching, punching, stamping and “wriggle” work. Some de-signs are distinctive to the country of origin with the mainidentity being in handles, lids, bases and thumblifts. Somepewter steins have touchmarks which refer to the maker, thealloy quality and the town or city of the manufacturer.

METTLACH STEINSThis half-liter Mettlach stein, model #1979, ispart of that factory’s “Mosaic” line.

Mettlach is a small town in Ger-many’s Saarland. It is the home ofone of Villeroy & Boch’s factories,where stein production began circa1840. V&B used coal-burning kilnswhich produced a more uniform

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product than the wood-fired process. The Golden Era of V&Bstein production began around 1880 and lasted until about1910. The world expositions during that time catapulted thenew V&B production technique of chromolith or “inlaidstoneware” to the heights of world awareness. When the fac-tory was partially burned in 1921, documentation of the pro-duction techniques was destroyed and little is known exceptthrough theories about how chromolith (today commonly re-ferred to as etched) was produced. Mettlach also producedhand-painted, mosaic, tapestry, print-under-glaze (PUG) andrelief items, sometimes incorporating more than one technique.V&B used an extensive marking system which included the oldtower (abbey) trademark, the year of production, form number,size number, etc. Following the overwhelming acceptance ofthe V&B chromolith steins, other German factories attempted torecreate similar etched steins, some using almost identicalscenes to those used by V&B. However to the trained eye, thedifference is clear. Since 1976 V&B has produced some con-temporary steins. They are well marked and not intended toconfuse the collector of antique steins. These production tech-niques are significantly different from the methods used duringthe Golden Era.

PORCELAIN STEINSPorcelain steins were often decorated to cel-ebrate birthdays, weddings or sports. In thiscase, the stein notes membership in a 4Fgymnastic association, forerunner of theAmerican Physical Education curricula.

Porcelain steins in Germany datefrom the early 1700’s. Porcelain is avery hard, vitreous and translucentwhite material, fired at high temper-atures of 1300-1500 degrees Cel-sius. The main ingredient is chinaclay (kaolin), mixed with suitable pu-rified extender clays and fluxes. Theearly pieces from the Meissen fac-tory are quite intricately painted and

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usually finished with porcelain inlaid lids. In the late 19th cen-tury some manufacturers began using transfer decorationswhich, after firing, could be augmented with minimal handpainting. Many of these steins include lithophanes. The litho-phane involves a difference in the porcelain thickness so thatwhen held up to the light (looking through the inside of thestein), a scene is revealed. Lithophanes can be quite intricateand interesting to the collector.

GLAZE PAINTED RELIEF STEINSA painted relief souvenir stein, showing the USCapital Building. In addition to fitting into anAmericana collection, at 1/8-liter this also qual-ifies as a miniature.

From circa 1880 to the present, vastquantities of relief pottery (earthen-ware) and painted stoneware steinswere produced in Germany for use inthat country and for export. Earthen-ware is pottery that has not been firedto the point of vitrification and is thusslightly porous and coarser than eitherstoneware or porcelain. The body hasto be covered with a heavy glaze tomake it impermeable to liquids and

more amenable to decoration. The bodies of these steins arecast with relief scenes and then either painted or color-glazed.These are the steins commonly found today in antique shopsor flea markets.

Certain categories of relief steins have become quite popularwith collectors, such as those with scenes of sporting events.Painted or transfer-fired brewery steins, depending upon theparticular brewery, are also currently popular. Some notablemanufacturers include Diesinger (D.R.G.M.), Gerz, Hauber &Reuther (HR), Thewalt, and Marzi & Remy. A few collectorsalso search out examples designed by specific artists such asHeinrich Schlitt or Karl Beuler.

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REGIMENTAL STEINSThis porcelain regimental stein displaysa characteristic pewter finial. Thesesteins are detailed recordings of history.

Germany became a major worldpower in the late 19th century.The German Constitution of 1871reaffirmed that all able-bodiedmen were liable for military serv-ice. Due to financial constraints,however, less than half of thosequalified actually served in thestanding army. At that time someservicemen, just prior to the com-pletion of their time in training,purchased a souvenir “in remem-brance of my service time.” Oftenthis was a stein made fromporcelain, pottery, stoneware orglass decorated in a motif sym-bolizing the soldier’s branch ofservice and personalized with hisname, garrison town, military unit designation and his years ofservice. Each regimental stein tells a complete story and everyfacet of the stein is symbolic. The finial relates to the type ofunit, with cannon depicting the artillery; a seated soldier, the in-fantry; and a horse and rider with a lance, the cavalry. Thethumblift is also part of the story: A rampant lion depicts Bavariaor Hesse; an eagle, Prussia; and the griffin, Baden. The bodyof a regimental stein usually has a central scene and two ormore smaller side scenes. Many steins have a roster, usuallynear the handle, listing the names of the reservists in the orig-inal owner’s unit. Most porcelain regimentals have lithophaneswith domestic, farewell or royalty scenes. If a regimental steinhas either a lithophane with a nude scene or a small bulge in-side the curve of the handle, the stein is most probably a re-production. If the pewter lid has the same patina inside and outand the body shows no indication of any enamel highlighting,the stein is possibly a reproduction.

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OCCUPATIONAL STEINSEven priests drink beer! This nice porcelainstein was originally owned by a parish priestin Auerbach, Germany.

Occupational steins date from the1880’s to about 1930. Generallythese steins are porcelain and fea-ture a wrap-around transfer scenedepicting an individual working inhis trade, or simply the tools of histrade. However, occupational steinscan also be found made ofstoneware (Villeroy & Boch pro-duced two series), glass, pewter,etc. The lithophane in porcelain oc-cupational steins generally reflectthe original owner’s trade, a drink-ing scene or royalty. The availability

of steins relating to a particular occupation is relative to thenumber of individuals employed in that occupation. For in-stance, farmer and baker steins are more common while shep-herd and goldsmith steins are less available.

CHARACTER STEINSA ¼-liter character stein of King Gambrinusmanufactured by the firm of Adolf Diesinger.This stein fits nicely in a Diesinger collectionor a character collection, and could easily besqueezed into a collection of miniatures.

The most commonly accepted defi-nition of a character stein is onewhich is in the shape of the thing itrepresents. In other words, the lidand the body combine to form ashape of a person or thing, eitherhistoric or symbolic. Some animals,vegetables and even everyday ob-jects may be given human charac-

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teristics. Although character steins can be dated much earlier,full-scale production by various factories began circa 1870.Most of these steins were made of porcelain, pottery,stoneware or pewter. They are both decorative and utilitarianand often represent the political mood, humor or interests ofthe times. Character steins are currently being manufacturedand in some instances the original molds are being utilized.Some of these steins are marked with country of origin. If theyare not marked, determining age is difficult to say the least. Ed-ucation as well as assistance from experienced character steincollectors is recommended.

CONTEMPORARY STEINS(Post World War II)The 1997 Oktoberfest stein shows ahappy king whose beer may have goneto his head! It has a nice relief pewterlid displaying the Munich Child.

After the devastation of WorldWar II, the German beer steinindustry was forced to regroup.There was little demand forsteins except on the home mar-ket and the pieces producedwere functional and inexpen-sive. By the 1970’s the stein market evolved as collectors rec-ognized and appreciated steins for their artistic qualities. TheGerman stein industry responded by producing high-qualitysteins in the tradition of earlier generations. Several of the olderGerman factories produced limited editions and successfullyexperimented with materials, decorating techniques and lids.Limited edition steins soon became the fastest growing part ofa revitalized industry. In the 1990’s stein production began tofollow the same global trends as other industries. In somecases German firms outsourced manufacturing to Asia; in othercases entirely new firms entered the market (e.g., Ceramarte inBrazil). These steins will be the antiques of the next century!

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STEIN COLLECTORS INTERNATIONAL, INC.Stein Collectors International, Inc. (SCI) was founded in 1965 as amember-owned and operated non-profit organization dedicated to thestudy and understanding of the art, culture and manufacture of beersteins, drinking vessels and related items from antiquity to moderntimes. Worldwide membership is over 1,000, with the majority of themembers living in the United States. Membership in regional chaptersis available throughout the U.S.A. and Germany.

Our quarterly publication, Prosit, includes well-illustrated articles infull color which have been researched and authored by our collec-tor/members. The cover of the 48-page issue from June 2011 is seenhere. Major articles in this issue addressed the steins produced byDümler & Breiden, porcelain steins produced by the firm of AugustSaeltzer, and the 20th installment of “Steins From the Road”, a pic-torial series notable for its variety and scope and featuring steins frommembers’ collections.

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Vol. 2, No. 97 The Beer Stein Magazine March 2016

Photos From the Roadby Ron Fox

A Visit toMunich’s Auer Dultby Mark Rossmann

4FTurners

GymnasticsPhysical Education

Friederich Ludwig Jahn

SCI’s 50th Convention in Corning, NYJuly 13-15, 2016

Featuring:The Corning Museum of Glass

Left: The Döbrich family Humpendated 1675, from the MuseumCollection

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What does Prosit mean, anyway, and why was this title chosen for apublication about beer steins? The German word Prosit! (or Prost!) isthe equivalent of the English Cheers!, the French A votre santé, theGaelic Sláinte, the Polish Na zdrowie, the Hebrew L'chaim, the Span-

ish Salud, or the Scandinavian Skoal. Whether used as a drinkingtoast or a salutation, it expresses friendship and good cheer, and inthat regard, it hearkens back to the origins of SCI, formed by collec-tors who enjoyed good times and friendship in each other’s company.

Actually, the German language does have another term which ex-presses the same sentiment: der Gemütlichkeit, the original nameof our publication. But after having to pronounce that term and ex-plain it, let alone spell it, it was decided that the term Prosit offeredsome advantages, and the name was changed in 1969.

Local chapters are the backbone of SCI, providing a means for col-lectors to get together several times a year to enjoy our favoritehobby. Meetings are planned and organized by the chapter and itsmembers, and held either in a restaurant or in a member’s home.While catering to the interests and passions common to all collectors,the meetings are also social occasions to gather with friends, enjoygood food and drink, and to buy, sell, trade or simply examine finesteins, and spouses are an essential element. Often there will be aspeaker on a stein-related topic. Members are invited to bring steinsto sell, or simply to discuss with other members. Each chapter es-tablishes its own dues structure, publishes a chapter newsletter, andhas a set meeting fee to cover the cost of food and drink.

Each year since 1967, SCI has hosted an annual three-day conven-tion. Held throughout the USA as well as in Germany, conventionsconsist of four to six lectures, workshops, stein sales room, members’stein auction, and usually a large commercial stein auction. Conven-tions also provide the once-a-year opportunity to convene the Boardof Trustees, report to the membership, conduct elections of officers,and recognize members' contributions. Chapters volunteer as hostsand are responsible for planning the convention events and program.

SCI has also established its own Research Library and Archives. Thelibrary has an excellent selection of books, articles and stein lecturevideo tapes and DVD’s available for research by members.

This booklet has been published to raise awareness of and to pro-mote the hobby of stein collecting. You can read informative articles,learn about convention plans or a local chapter in your area, or par-ticipate in SteinTalk, an active forum for the stein collecting commu-nity, by visiting our web siite:

http://www.stein-collectors.org.

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Visit our web site to read articles about steins, research marks,manufacturers or artists and designers, or ask questions inSteinTalk, our online forum about steins. And, of course, if youwant to join the world’s largest community of stein collectors,you can do that at our web site also. Take a look today...

http://www.stein-collectors.org

We thank SCI Master Steinologist Ron Heiligenstein whose initial idealaunched this "introduction to the hobby". Our sincere appreciation isextended to the following SCI members whose assistance made theidea into a reality:

Author: John Aschenbrenner

Editors: David Cantwell, Richard Cress, Ron Heiligenstein, PatriciaJahn, David Lowry, Eugene Manusov, Patricia Manusov, RobertSmith, Therese Thomas, Walt Vogdes, Robert Wilson