Evening star., 1901-02-23
ARTISTIC AND USEFUL
STEMS ARE NOW THE POPULAR
FAD WITH COLLECTORS.
The Best of Them Come From Ger
many-Thefr Part in a Quaint
Legend.


| touch of novelty by rows of stems hung
| about the walls or ranged on shelves The
collection of these artistic German drinking
| vessels is, in short, the latest fad
The cost of really fine collection of
| stems would reach well up into the hun
dreds of dollars, but for those who are con-
| tent with a few pieces representing the less
| expensive ware the value may be gauged in
other ways than by mere money considera-
| tions. Some persons collect the stems be-
cause of their intrinsic value, while others
| often prize the ware for Its history or asso-
citation. For instance, the husband Of a
| New York literary woman is making col
| lection whose interest lies in the fact that
! each represents some German city. When
any of his friends acquaintanceS go to
| Germany they are besought to bring him as
| souvenirs a stein from each of the towns
visited. He cultivates most assiduously the
| acquaintance of all Germans. He discovers
| where they have come from, and should
| they have relatives in any part of Germany
| to which he has not before given his atten-
| ton they are induced to write to some rela-
tive to send a handsome stein from some
| local bierkeller.
Jugs and Stems.
The collecting of stems is particularly a
| mans fad, although there are women who
indulge in 1t. So popular has it become
that all the great importers of china are
now bringing to this country the finest spec
linens. Some come in regular sets, consist
ing of a jug and several stems. The jugs,
which are shaped like the steins may be
distinguished from them in two ways-first,
by their superior size, and, second by the
fact that the jugs are supplied with lips,
over which the liquid may be safely poured.
Cider. water, lemonade, milk, ginger ale or
any other temperance drink may be served
In stems instead of the foaming beer which
in the faderland is their only legitimate
contents.
The word stein means stone, Its signfi-
canoe being apparent when it is known that
the German stein is classed as stoneware.
Stoneware was first made at Ratisbon,
Baireuth and Cologne, then throughout the
provinces along the Rhine, in Saxony and
later in Holland and in France.
The German stoneware Is generally of a
deir gray but the drinking vessels are most
often ornamented with designs in relief,
which are either colored contrasted with
dark painted background. Some of the
old stems have painted patterns, the signed
work of skllful artists. Permanency is
given the colors by baking
There exists quite an interesting legend in
regard to the origin of the popularity of the
stoneWare drinking pots. The story is
some of the more handsomely decorated
specimens.
Quaint Old Story.
The legend says that Jacqueline of Ba-
varia, Countess of Hainault and Holland
married under pressure John, Duke of Bra
bant, a man for whom she had neither lik-
ing nor respect. John of Bavaria, bishop OF
Llege, disappointed suitor, as a result de-
clared war against the countess and COM
PEELED her to make him her heir. The bishop
also bribed the beautiful countess husband
to permit him to manage her estate, from
which he expected to realize large fees.
Disguised with men in general, the countess
fed to England and appealed thence to the
pope for divorce The holy father said he
could find no pea which in his mind would
give him just reason for granting the de-
cree
In England the beauty of the countess
made a great impression upon many En-
glishmen of high degree. None was more
infatuated than the Duke of Gloucester,
who gathered a large army to march
against the distressed lady's husband and
the bishop of Liege. The husband of Jac-
queine quickly secured the aid of the Duke
of Burgundy, and the combined armies de-
feated the soldiers of the Duke OF Glouces-
ter. This gallant gentleman decided that
beauty was in this case too set about with
thorns and, deserting the fair one, he fled
to England, leaving the countess to be i'm
prisoned by her liege lord and his friends
She managed to escape and on the death
of the disappointed lover, in 1925, resumed
her position. Her husband died shortly af-
ter. The Duke of Burgundy from having
helped defend her possessions against her
self put in claim to be appointed her
heir, and as his arguments were strongly
backed by swords and lances she agreed
Her Interest in Pottery.
In spite of her disastrous experiences
with men, the countess undertook marriage
a second time. This act aroused the indig-
nation of Philip the Good of France, one
of the most active meddlers of his time To
appease the wrath of Philip the countess
agreed to give up all her possessions and
retire to the castle of Teylinger on the
Rhine, where she died three years later, in
the age of thirty-six. From this the count
esS' connection with stoneware is not ap-
was the seat of neSf the Oldest and most
famous potteries, and that the countess
once, in 1924, when a fugitive and again
after her marriage took a great interest in
the development Of the work, it will be
clearer. She gave up her time and money
to advance the efficiency of the potteries,
even entering them to make ware with her
own fair hands. She was idoized by the
workmen, who would drink to her health
In great stems of liquor, and then, lifting
the vessels high over the Rhine, which
flowed beneath the castle, where she kept
open house, they would hurl them into the
river that the fiagons might never be used
to a less exalted toast. Some of these
stems have been found and differ very little
in shape from those in which to this day
the German student good citizen takes
his draft of beer in the keller of his ma
tive land.
In the sixteenth century the quality of
the stoneware improved. No country pro-
duces such a finished product as Germany.
Paris New Century Phrase.
From the London Telegraph.
Partisan society has just solved most