Very Early Beer Stein Bartmann Bellarmine Frechen c.1500 Description: This beer stein is one of the oldest beer drinking vessels. It dates back to late-1500s and was made in the town of Frechen - one of the most important centers of early stoneware production in Germany. The tradition of "Bartmann" or "Bearded man" beer steins began in mid 1400s in the town of Cologne - another important stoneware production center in Renaissance period Germany. It became so popular that every town in Rheinland that was involved in pottery produced their own version for almost two hundred years. There are very similar Bartmann beer steins produced in Raeren, Siegburg, etc. The stein is made of brown saltglazed stoneware. The bearded face was made on a separate medallion and applied. The bearded man steins from Frechen are the most classical of all the Bartmann pieces. They were produced for over a century and exported in large quantities to England, Scandinavia and New World. The stein is in a very good condition for almost 500 years old. It was repaired long time ago - the repair work got petrified over the years so it is hard to tell exactly what the damage was, most of the body is completely intact. This is a beautiful piece that has almost half of the millennium behind it! I guarantee my description and my dating. The stein is 6" tall, approx. 0.3L capacity. Reference#: bs062609_1 Condition: Good Year: 1500s Country: Germany Height: 6 in. (15.24 cm) Title: Very Early Beer Stein Bartmann Bellarmine Frechen c.1500 Materials: Stoneware

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On Jun-28-09 at 16:58:44 PDT, seller added the following information: