Rare Marzi & Remy Antique German Stoneware Beer Stein 250ml with 4-part Pewter Lid and Thumb Lift 

AN ANTIQUE BEER STEIN WITH PEWTER LID AND THUMB LIFT HANDLE. IT HAS A HAND PAINTED COUNTRY INN SCENE DESIGN WITH SOME LEAVES AND VINES. THE PEWTER LID IS MADE OUT OF A 4 PART MOULD WHICH DATES THIS STEIN TO THE PRE WW2 ERA. IT IS ENGRAVED ON BOTTOM MADE IN GERMANY WHICH INDICATES AFTER 1920.

ON THE BOTTOM IS ALSO ENGRAVED A SQUARE WITH A CROSS. THIS INDICATES IT WAS MADE BY THE COMPANY MARZI & REMY WHO USED A SQUARE VERSION OF THEIR IMPRESSED STYLIZED POTTER'S WHEEL MARK, WHICH WAS USED FROM 1879 TO 1964. THE SQUARE WITH THE CROSS IS AN IMPRESSED MARK, NOT A PAINTED ONE, AND IS A VARIANT OF THE POTTER'S WHEEL LOGO.THIS MARK IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MARZI & REMY COMPANY, WHICH WAS A MAJOR GERMAN STEIN PRODUCER.THE USE OF THIS PARTICULAR MARK HELPS DATE THE STEIN TO BETWEEN 1879 AND 1964. 

BEER STEINS ARE CULTURAL ICONS AS MUCH AS THEY ARE DRINKING CONTAINERS. FROM THE TAVERNS AND INNS OF THE MEDIEVAL ERA, THE ANTIQUE GERMAN BEER STEIN HAS ACCOMPANIED EVERY OKTOBERFEST AND DRINKING EVENT IN GERMANYS RICH HISTORY, BECOMING A VALUABLE COLLECTORS ITEM.

THE TRADITIONAL ANTIQUE GERMAN BEER STEINS WERE MADE OF STONEWARE AND HAD PEWTER LIDS. MANY TRADITIONAL STEINS HAVE A HINGED LID WITH A THUMB LIFT, WHICH WAS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN EARLIER ERAS FOR SANITATION. THEY WILL BE HAND PAINTED ON A RAISED DESIGN (OFTEN COUNTRY SIDE INNS OR FOLK FESTIVALS) WITH SMALL IMPERFECTIONS SOMETIMES VISIBLE.

LOOK FOR MARKINGS THAT INDICATE IT WAS MADE IN GERMANY. THIS WAS A REQUIREMENT OF EXPORTS AFTER 1887. PHRASES LIKE "GEMACHT IN DEUTSCHLAND" OR GERMANY BEFORE 1920 OR "MADE IN GERMANY AFTER 1920" ARE COMMON. A STEIN MARKED AS MADE IN WESTERN GERMANY INDICATES IT WAS MADE BETWEEN 1949 AND 1990.

ANTIQUE BEER STEIN HANDLES DIDN'T HAVE BUMPS ON THE INNER HANDLE.VINTAGE AND ANTIQUE STEINS HAVE SMOOTH INNER HANDLES, MAKING THE PRESENCE OF A BUMP A KEY GIVEAWAY THAT THE PIECE IS NOT AN ORIGINAL FROM THAT ERA.

PEWTER LIDS MADE BEFORE WWII USED A THREE OR FOUR PART MOLD, WHILE MORE RECENT PEWTER LIDS ARE MADE IN A SINGLE MOLD.

MARKINGS: ENGRAVED ON BOTTOM: MADE IN GERMANY
ALSO A SQUARE WITH A CROSS MARK
Indicates it was made by the company Marzi & Remy who used a square version of their impressed stylized potter's wheel mark, which was used from 1879 to 1964. The square with the cross is an impressed mark, not a painted one, and is a variant of the potter's wheel logo.This mark is associated with the Marzi & Remy company, which was a major German stein producer.The use of this particular mark helps date the stein to between 1879 and 1964. 
ON SIDE PANEL DESIGN: ERST PROBS DANN LOBS
(TRY IT FIRST THEN PRAISE IT)

SIZE: 10CM WIDE UP TO HANDLE 17CM HIGH UP TO LID FINIAAL
CONDITION: NO DAMAGE. VERY GOOD CONDITION.

MARZI & REMY (1879-1994):
Marzi & Remy factory was founded in 1879, but was was first licenced on the 1st January 1880, by Anton Marzi & his brother in law Simon Peter Remy (b.29 6.1835 - d.24.1.1919). Gustav Thinwiebel joined from the beginning as a modeller. A pewter foundry was added in 1881. 
INITIALLY THEY PRODUCED ONLY BLUE-GREY SALT GLAZED STONEWARE, BUT IN 1883 STARTED TO SUCCESSFULLY PRODUCE CREAM STONEWARE, "ELFENBEINSTEINZEUG". 
About this time they were employing about a hundred workers, but in 1907 to 1910 saw a period of strikes and recession. In 1924, following the death of A.Marzi, his son in law, Johann Otto Bühler took over management and also the ownership of the company when S.P.Remy's son, Werner (b.16.11.1889) left the company in 1931. 
The company was not exempt from the recession of the 1930's and suffered greatly. J.O.Bühler's son Otto took over in 1941, followed by his grandson, Otto George Bühler in 1953. Under his management the old round ovens were replaced by tunnel ovens which replaced batch production with continuous production. 
During this time Marzi & Remy enjoyed being part of the "German economic miracle". However this was not to last and the company was sold to S.P.Gerz in 1994.
GERMAN BEER STEINS:
Beer steins evolved as a result of the laws passed in several German principalities stating that covers had to be on all beverage and food containers. The laws, and others related to sanitary conditions, were in reaction to the fear that a recurrence of the bubonic plague, also called the Black Death, would be caused by several invasions of flies throughout Central Europe in the mid to late fifteenth century. 

PLEASE ALSO SEE MY OTHER ITEMS LISTED. I HAVE SOME INTERESTING ITEMS ON AUCTION THIS WEEK INCLUDING TWO OTHER OLD GERMAN STONEWARE BEER STEINS. THE URL UNDERNEATH AND PASTE INTO GOOGLE AND IT WILL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO ALL MY LISTINGS THIS WEEK. NOTE ALL MY AUCTIONS END AT 22H30 SO IT IS ADVISABLE TO PUT IN AN AUTOMATIC BID (HIGHEST PRICE YOU ARE WILLING TO PAY) EARLY.
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