The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-13
Drinking GLASSES.
How Those OF the Present Day Came to
Have Their Shape-Some Queer
Old Customs.

few radical changes since glass became
the popular material, that many people
believe that the drinking glass of long ago
is the glass of today. But old prints ana
specimens show that the styles have
changed, and are constantly changing
the skull of a fallen foe was a favorita
drinking vessel among the barbarou5 peo-
pie, but as a wine holder the horn at
tanned the greatest popularity. When in
use for drinking purposes 1t was filled
and passed from one to another, each per
son taking a draught Wine was not taken
freely except in company, and fndiv;du Il
or small drinking vessels were made Of
gourds or melons. ostrich eggs, cocoanu.
shells. ETC., and these, because they could
not stand when filled, were called tum-
blers, and 1t was the custom to empty
them at one draught.
Among the antiquities IN the cathedral
at York is the horn of Ulphus, made Of an
elephants tusk. According to the story
which Is told of the drinking horn. it was
made shortly before the Conquest. When
the original owner. the lord of much land
in East Yorkshire, became enraged over
the disputes of his sons as to the success
Il
ster, and there, before the high altar,
drained the horn as pledge and evidence
Of his gift of all his lands to the church.
HORNS FOR DRINKING
Many specimens of old drinking horns,
richly decorated with gold and silver, are
preserved in European collections, and
although standing vessels have displaced
them, horns are still used as drinking
vessels among students in Germany, and
the horn is an essential part in the outfit
Of turnverein. 1t was originally u ed
by convivial parties. but 1t seems that in-
dividuais used. 1t in King Edwards day,
who, 1t is said, at the instigation Of Dun
stan, ordained that pegs should be fasten-
ed in the drinking horns at intervals,
''in order that whosoever drank beyond
certain of these marks at a single draue ht
should be liable to punishment"
These peg drinking vessels were divided
into eight draughts, and usually-contain-
ed about two quarts. But it seems that
the edict was not followed, for in HOP 1t
was decreed that mo priest should go to
drinking bouts nor drink to peg"
Another antique style of drinking vessel
was the mazer, of which a specimen from
the time of Edward l. is preserved at Her
baldown hospital, near Canterbury 1t is
made of maple wood, is about eight inches
it diameter at the upper edge, mounted in
silver gilt, and at the bottom contains q
silver-gilt medallion representing Guy Of
Warwick transfxing a dragon with his
lance, while Hon seems about to make
an attack. This cup, which holds about
six pints. was used at the yearly feast
. of st. Nicholas.
The standing cup in which the wine was
received from the butler after Il had been
tested was sometimes called 'hanap,"
from which it is believed the word ham
per" is derived.
CHARMS AGAINST POISON
Drinking vessels were frequently pro
Vided with charms against poison, and
cups made Of horn of the norwhal were
supposed to possess the power Of det Ct
ing poison. A silver goblet which long
ed to Queen Elizabeth is decorated with
many charm stones.
Early In the sixteenth century the tank
ard was introduced. and it soon became
SO popular that the jug or pitcher of
earthenware with dOggerel inscriptions
could be found in nearly every cottage in
England.
In Germany the horn was succeeded by
the Romer, a large bowl on a heavy
stand, which was passed from hand to
hand at the dining board. The form was
massive but graceful, and was used as
long as people were satisfied to drink
from a common vessel When individual
drinking vessels were demanded when 1T
became the custom to provide a drink
ing vessel for each guest. the smaller
vessels were fashioned after the old Ro-
mer
The Introduction of glass brought about
many changes In drinking vessels. Th9
tumbler was discarded, and a drinking
glass took its place, which was a tumbier
only in name. Then came the Humpen, a
large, plain standing glass vessel, and
while these were taking the places of the
primitive drinking vessels the tankard
made of earthenware, with its decorations
and inscriptions. held its own. and is still
the most popular vessel for beer.
THE CHAMPAGNE GLASS
The saucer-shaped champagne glass
with a hollow stem was one of the early
fancy" glasses, and the general shape,
adopted originally so that a large sur
face might be exposed because of the bou-
quet, has been retained, although the
glassmaker has produced many variations
on the original theme The latest OF these
is the extremely high stem and the great
or magnum bowl
New glasses for new drinks Is one of
the conspicuous lines in a recent adYer-
tisement. This was explained by Bawo
& Dotter:
THE German manufacturers sent TO
this market glasses for all the various
fashionable drinks, and just as soon as
some particular liquor or mixture becomes
popular distinct glass is put on the mar
ket for it. For that reason, in addition
to the changes in the staple forms, we
have new styles and shapes coming every
season.
Among the queer freak glasses which are
made in Europe for the American market
are the cocktail glasses. Some of these.
designed for places where they want all
the show with little expense, have a glass
cherry fixed to the bottom of the bowl.
The stationary glass cherry answers
every purpose until the drinker tries to
take it out, when he discovers the trick
and wonders where the cocktail got the
cherry flavor.
A good specimen of this class of goods
is the 'Nurnberger Frichten'' glass,
which comes from Germany in many sizes
and with quaint inscriptions. 1t is shaped
like a funnel, and many of the inscrip-
tions refer to the fact that by means of
this utensil wisdom was put into the
Nurnberger people of long ago.