Antique Early German Stoneware Beer Stein Birnkrug – Dreihausen c. Description: The beer steins made before 1850s are usually categorized as “early” – at that time, before the industrial revolution, the production was all manual. Every stein made in the early period was unique, decorated by hand and rarely replicated. It was made in the village of Dreihausen located in Hesse, in the very heart of Germany. It is also located near the historical stoneware production centers of Cologne and Siegburg that produced the first true stoneware in Europe. These brown-glazed “Birnkruge” or “pear-shaped steins” in German, along with many other household stoneware vessels, were produced in Dreihausen from the 13th century to the first half of 1800s. There were about 20 – 30 pottery shops in this small village at the peak of production in the mid-1700s. The Dreihausen stoneware was different from it’s Westerwald counterpart, – it was never salt-glazed. Instead the Dreihausen potters used to dip the already formed pieces into highly diluted loam slip of iron-rich clay that after firing formed this gorgeous shiny chocolate-brown surface. The stein is incised with the name “Rosina” on front – it was done when the clay was still wet before putting the slip. Apparently, it was done on a special order from a customer. The lid is pewter, with the thumblift in form of a sitting young boy – Cupid or Putto – holding a beer stein in his hand. The figural thumblifts appeared in German beer stein production around 1820. However, this is a unique and a very unusual thumblift. I’d like to speculate that the stein was made on a special order as a gift to a lady (Rosina) who just gave birth to a boy. The stein is in excellent condition – there are a couple of very minor glaze flakes – just normal age-related wear, but no chips or cracks, the pewter is in excellent shape. The stein is 7.25 tall to the top of the thumblift, about 0.5L capacity. I guarantee the authenticity. Height: 7.25 in. Get Supersized Images & Free Image Hosting. Attention Sellers – Get Templates Image Hosting, Scheduling at Auctiva. Com. Track Page Views With.