Antique German Faience Stein Birnkrug Schrezheim Turquoise Pewter Lid m.m.

Details

Description

An exceptional and highly collectible mid-to-late 18th-century German Faience pear-shaped lidded jug ("Birnkrug"), beautifully attributed to the historic Schrezheim Faience … Read more An exceptional and highly collectible mid-to-late 18th-century German Faience pear-shaped lidded jug ("Birnkrug"), beautifully attributed to the historic Schrezheim Faience Factory in Ellwangen, Germany.
This striking piece features a vibrant, glossy turquoise-blue glazed ground—the signature and coveted color palette characteristic of Schrezheim's most celebrated historic earthenware productions. The gently twisted, ribbed body accentuates the pear form. The front face showcases a meticulously hand-painted folk art motif depicting a rural peasant laborer amidst rustic field vegetation.
The jug is completely outfitted with its historic, original pewter hardware. This includes a form-fitting bottom base ring (Standring), a heavy protective hinge assembly with a strap handle attachment, and a dominant lid crowned by an elegant baluster-shaped finial. The top of the pewter lid is cleanly hand-engraved with cursive initials "M. M." from an early owner. Following standard mid-18th-century production rules at Schrezheim, the bottom base remains unglazed and unmarked.
Dimensions:
• Width: 5.0 in
• Depth: 5.0 in
• Height: 9.25 in (to top of lid finial)
Condition Notes:
Good condition overall, especially considering its 250+ year age. This authentic piece of pottery displays beautifully with an incredible glossy surface glaze. Honest, age-appropriate historic wear includes minor glaze chips, flakes, and standard firing pits, primarily along the upper rim lip and beneath the pewter mount attachments where the underlying reddish clay is naturally exposed. The pewter lid assembly has a minor historic wobble at the hinge fitting, and the lower pewter base ring is slightly loose but remains completely secure and attached. No modern restorations or breaks are detected

About the Maker:
Founded in 1752 by Johann Baptist Bux in Ellwangen, Germany, the Schrezheim Faience Factory (Fayencemanufaktur Schrezheim) remains celebrated by collectors as one of the most distinctive and artistically significant ceramic workshops of the Baroque and Rococo eras. Active until 1865, the factory achieved legendary status for its high-quality, glossy glazes and its unique, vivid turquoise-blue ground palette—a color tone that became a definitive hallmark of the region's production. Unlike mass-manufactured ceramics of later eras, Schrezheim's mid-18th-century "Birnkrüge" (pear-shaped lidded jugs) were painstakingly hand-thrown and individually hand-painted by master artisans, making surviving pieces highly sought-after treasures of historical European folk art. See less