Vintage Reinhold Merkelbach Beer Stein Set 3pc German Stoneware Relief Pewter
£75.00
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Vintage Reinhold Merkelbach Beer Stein Set 3pc German Stoneware Relief Pewter
£75.00
Item Overview
- Type: Vintage Relief Stoneware German Beer Stein / Lidded Tankard Collection Set
- Brand: Reinhold Merkelbach (Höhr-Grenzhausen)
- Manufacturer: Reinhold Merkelbach Pottery Factory
- Model / Mold Numbers: Three-Piece Matched Series Group: 4001, 4007, and 3525
- MPN: Does Not Apply
- Place of Origin: Höhr-Grenzhausen, Westerwald Pottery District, Germany
- Style: Traditional Westerwald Salt-Glazed Relief / Bavarian Folk Art Breweriana
- Colour: Deep Cobalt Blue, Rich Forest Green, Chocolate Brown, Ochraceous Cream, and Patinated Pewter Grey
- Design Era: Late Mid-Century Revival Era (c. 1960s–1970s)
- Material: High-Fired Salt-Glaze Stoneware (Steinzeug) and Solid 95% Pure Pewter (Zinn) Lids
- Set Includes: Three (3) Fully Matching Vintage Lidded Beer Steins: One (1) Model 4001 Stein, One (1) Model 4007 Stein, and One (1) Model 3525 Stein (3-Piece Complete Scenic Collection).
- Features: Deep-Relief Polychrome Figural Cartouches, Three-Tiered Conical Pewter Lids, Highly Detailed Stoneware Handle Mountings, and Official Incised "RM inside Horseshoe" Maker Stamps.
- Condition: Excellent Vintage Condition with No Chips or Cracks.
- Size and Capacity: Each individual stein measures approximately 6.5 inches in height to the ceramic rim and 8.5 inches to the peak of the pewter lid finial (approx. 21 cm total height); houses standard 0.5-Litre capacity volumes.
Dating & Historical Context
- Dating: This cohesive three-piece presentation group dates precisely to the late mid-century period, specifically c. 1960s–1970s. The base diagnostics are definitive: they carry the clean, crisp "MADE IN GERMANY" linear block stamp used consistently prior to the late-20th-century reunification transitions, paired with deep factory-incised model codes and the iconic "RM inside a Horseshoe" manufacturer stamp, which was Merkelbach's official mid-to-late 20th-century trademark.
- Historical Note: Reinhold Merkelbach was one of the most prestigious, historically significant master foundries operating within the famed Kannenbäckerland—the historic pottery heartland of Germany's Westerwald region. Established in 1882, the Merkelbach studio became world-renowned for collaborating with elite Art Nouveau and avant-garde industrial designers, while simultaneously maintaining the traditional artisan techniques of salt-glazing and high-relief molding. This specific 3-piece series showcases their celebrated mid-century polychrome folk line. Each vessel tells a distinct story, depicting beautifully modeled, cheerful tavern, courtyard, and country scenes of musicians, dancing couples, and wandering travelers. Topped with premium, single-piece cast pewter lids featuring intricate scrollwork thumblifts, this matched trilogy represents a magnificent snapshot of historic German breweriana.
Description
An exceptionally visual, cohesive, and highly decorative three-piece collector's set, these authentic Reinhold Merkelbach lidded beer steins are a fantastic find for the vault. Sculpted from thick-gauge Westerwald clay, each 0.5-litre tankard features an elaborate, hand-painted polychrome relief scene running across a vibrant cobalt-blue ground. The figures are full of character, highlighting traditional alpine costumes, timber fences, and broad-leaf woodland foliage. Each stein is securely completed by its original, brightly reflective pewter dome lid, which operates via a robust mechanical hinge anchored directly into the stoneware scroll handle.
The Three-Part Model Overview:
- Model 4001: Features an outdoor country setting depicting a seated wanderer playing a traditional concertina/button accordion to a listening companion.
- Model 4007: Displays a lively courtyard gathering with a musician piping tunes for a joyfully dancing traditional Bavarian couple.
- Model 3525: Depicts a charming forest path meeting scene, showcasing a traveling country woman greeting an alpine huntsman or woodsman.
Condition Report
This vintage three-piece collection is in excellent condition, showcasing immaculate collector-level preservation from a single-owner home. All three stoneware bodies are structurally flawless, entirely free from edge chips, handle fractures, hairline cracks, or superficial glazing bites. The underglaze polychrome paintwork is beautifully vibrant and smooth, with zero scuffing or loss. The three solid pewter lids are strictly authentic single-piece castings with clean, untarnished silver-pewter interiors; the hinges remain tight and perfectly aligned, and the thumb-rests operate cleanly without stickiness or wobble. The bases are solid and flat. Please inspect the comprehensive gallery photographs to appreciate the uniform color depth and verify the incised factory marks.
Shipping & Logistics
- Domestic Shipping: FREE UK TRACKED DELIVERY.
- Packaging: Packing lidded tankards requires extreme care to protect the metal hinge mounts. Each lid will be isolated with soft protective padding before the entire body of each stein is wrapped independently in heavy-gauge bubble cushioning. The three units will then be boxed together inside a rigid, double-walled shipping container surrounded by shock-absorbing void-fill peanuts to guarantee safe transit.
- Dispatch: Order before 12.00pm and we ship same day.
Returns & Payment Policies
We want you to be delighted with your heritage find.
- Not as Described: In the unlikely event of an error in our listing, we will provide a full refund and cover the return postage costs.
- Change of Mind: We accept returns within 30 days; however, in these instances, the buyer is responsible for the return shipping costs.