The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-02-07


HOW Beer Mugs Arc Made
Connoisseurs love-and many who
have no preteusions to that title are
familiar with--the quaint drinking mugs
or other vessels which are known as
Gres de Flandrea Scofers have said
that the peculiar stoneware has been so
naued because It was never made IN
but the scoffers are wrong.
The province Of Limburg, however, now
divided between Germany and Belgium,
which was so long one Of the seats OF
manufacture, has always been a frontier
Slate, and had always been up to 1918
subject to the Counts and other rulers #
Flanders. The ware is in truth essen
TALLY German in its history, and in the
characteristics of it's diversified forms
and artistic embellishments
The precise date and place Of its origin
remain unknown. A well authenticated
fragment of he brown ware bears the
date of 1889; but examples of a rude
unglazed white ware, and of a coarse
earthen body of dark gray, smeared
with a lead glaze, have been found in
excavations, and may be supposed TO
have been the productions of a very re-
mote period. But evidently by the
middle of the sixteenth century the art
had attained to something like perfec-
ton. For two centuries Germany re-
tanned the monopoly and kept Europe
supplied with drinking vessels, and
adapted very much to the tastes, to the
measures, and to the usage Of different
lands
It was toward the end Of the eight
zenith century when successful at
tempt was made by one Dwight of Full
ham, to produce the like articles in Eng
land. This was, however, a period of
remarkable activity among English
potters The picturesque, though rude,
puzzle jugs and tygs had been the prod
uct of much ingenuity; but they were
disappearing before the beautiful salt
glaze ware, much of which has never
been excelled in perfection Of form and
sharpness of ornament, and which had
attained to the highest degree Of artistic
quality before the advent of Josiah
Wedgwood.
The stoneware. however, properly so
called, was probably produced in num-
berless localities all over Germany and
the Low Countries, where suitable clay
and aptitude existed. But there are a
few districts to which peculiar interest
sttaches There were seats Of character
istic and often remarkable original
styles. Among the most notable places
was Siegburg, situated not far from
Bonn, on a tributary Of the Rhine There
were produced the tall cylindrical can.
nettes in what was long known as
Cologne ware, and other articles Of a
like kind in a white body, often unglaEsd,
but richly embossed with elaborate and
finely chased figures and ornaments In
relief.
Siegburg suffered severely during the
wars of the seventeenth century, and
the potters, despairing Of being able to
carry on their industry in peaceful se-
curity, finally emigrated to other lands.
All attempts to influence them to return
to their ruined abodes and desolated
town were unsuccessful; but about 40
years ago an enterprising and ingenious
potter undertook to revive on the spot
the old manufacture. With the aid of
ancient molds, discovered in the
neighborhood, he reproduced the ware
Of old types, following closely the old
traditions. These revivals found q ready
market, by the agency of unscrupulous
dealers. as veritable examples, and long
held unchanged their places in public
museums and the cabinets of collectors
a, genuine examples of the much priced
ware of Siegburg.
Only second in historic Importance,
and quite distinct in character, were the
productions of Raeren, a town near AK
la Charelle. These latter were generally
of a rich bronze brown. covered with a
brilliant salt glaze. Besides the fanil-
lar beer pots, ewers, and jugs of great
artistic pretentions were there produced
The decorative art of Raeren found EN-
ployment in the production OF religious
and NEUROLOGICAL drinking and dancing
scenes, some adapted from the engrav-
ings of the time, others undoubtedly the
creation of local modellers and display
ing great original talent
Similar in style and color to the ware
of Raeren were the productions of
Frechen, among which may be included
well known jug, the neck OF which is
adorned with grotesque long bearded
face, called in England "Gray Beard,
or sometimes known as "Bellarmine.
On all these peaceful centers of ingen-
ious and profitable industry, grim Wis
aged war wrought ruthless devastation.
In their despair the potters Of the Low
Countries abandoned the places in which
their art was, like themselves, native
and to the manner of the country born.
Many sought refuge on the other side of
the Rhine, and among other places which
were to rejoice in the accession Of the
emigrants was the district lying little
to the east, opposite the confluence of
the Moselle with the Rhine. Now form
ing part of the province of Nassau, this
territory was. up to 1903, under divided
jurisdiction; it was part of the elector-
ate Of Treves and of the county of Wied.
The district had been from time imme-
mortal identified with the production Of
pottery to such an extent that it had be-
come known as the "Kannenbacher-
land, or the country Of the potters-
much as the like region in North Stafford
shire is known to all men as The POtterles.
The ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Of to-day COM
prises nine busy little villages, of which
the two most populous, Hohr and Grenz-
hausen, give a common title to the whole
district Hohr has the air OF small
but hourishing town Of between 1000
and 5000 population. Grenzhausen.
about one-fourLh less in population than
Hohr, lie like unto it in general charac-
teristics. Chemical utensils and drain
pipes are among the special goods man
ufactured; but Grenzhausen is preemi-
nently the home of the Kappenbacher.
the maker of the cups and mugs which
are the Joy of the South German beer
drinker.
In general appearance the factories of
Hohr -Grenzhausen suggest a comparison
with the small potteries that might have