Antique Early German Brown Earthenware Beer Stein Melonenkrug Bunzlau c. Hello, my dear customers! I will be out of the country from September 2nd to September 12th. Please keep this in mind! Presented is a rare example of early German pottery. This high-fired earthenware brown-glazed beer stein was made in Bunzlau – a town in Lower Silesia in the mid-1700s. In fact, all the pottery production from small towns in Lower Silesia is called “Bunzlau” Every German town and every region that was known to make pottery had its own unique technologies and trade secrets. That’s why we can determine where a particular piece was made based on the appearance, style, and type of the pottery. The steins of this kind were called “Melonenkrug” or “Melon-shaped steins” because of their round shape and vertical or diagonal ribs. These ribs were made by hand from the inside initially and later with the help of a special instrument. The lead-based brown glaze was typical for Bunzlau. “Melon-shaped steins faded out of fashion after 1750″, -writes Beatrix Adler in her book “Early Stoneware Steins” based on Les Paul’s collection. “The last date we can find on a pewter mount is 1757″. The pewter lid is dome-shaped with a hollow ball thumblift. The inside of the lid is stamped with pewter marks that belong to Joahim Heinrick Kampffer, a pewterer in the town of Sagan in Lower Silesia, now Zagan in Poland. He was active in mid-1700s and died in 1771. The stein is large and impressive – it stands 9 tall to the top of the thumblif, with approx. 1.5 Liter capacity. A very similar, almost identical stein is featured in Gery Kirsner’s “The Beer Stein Book” on page 40. The stein is in good condition, the appearance is excellent. There are some small chips on the upper lip covered by the lid but no large chips, cracks, or repairs. The lid has the hinge rings broken – it could be separated from the stein. This is a very good condition overall for a stein over 250 years old (see pics). It is very impressive and elegant and a true historical piece that carries over 200 years of both culture and technology. I guarantee the authenticity. Condition: Minor chips, the hinge has broken rings. Get Supersized Images & Free Image Hosting. Attention Sellers – Get Templates Image Hosting, Scheduling at Auctiva. Com. Track Page Views With.