This large, unique German beer mug has an internal volume of 2 liters. It was made between 1904 and 1908. Similar mugs, but with a capacity of 1 liter or less, were produced as mass-produced souvenirs for visitors to Munich. However, 2-liter mugs were not mass-produced.
Our mug was made using one of the most common shapes in Germany, which is a smooth cylinder with an upper edge that curves inward along the entire circumference. The mug is equipped with a massive handle without any decoration. A similarly massive tin alloy lid is attached to the handle in a standard way. In those years, almost all manufactories used such shapes, which could have contracts for the production of mugs commissioned by breweries with their trade symbols for advertising purposes or contracts with major Munich distributors of souvenirs. Mugs of this shape were very practical for their intended use and were relatively simple and inexpensive to produce. At that time, Germany was already in the midst of a serious economic crisis, and mugs with this design became increasingly popular. However, the criteria of simplicity, affordability, and mass availability did not apply to mugs with a capacity of 2 liters or more.
This is crucial for understanding the history of this particular mug.
On its surface, we do not see any markings from the artist who designed the pattern. Additionally, there is no mark from the ceramic factory. The reasons for these missing markings may vary. Although, this does not in any way speak of the indifference of the artist and the manufactory to the product of their creativity.
A number of indirect signs allow us to judge that the mug was produced at the Reinhold Merkelbach pottery manufactory. The marks of this manufactory could be found on mugs with the same shape and drawing, only significantly smaller volumes of 1 and 1/2 liters. This mug has, as already noted, a volume of 2 liters. Products of this size and shape were made in small batches for special presentation purposes, and they were usually not stamped with the factory's mark. This made them truly exclusive and very rare.
The design of the mug incorporates a variety of jugendstil elements and techniques. jugendstil is the German name for the art nouveau style, which emerged at the turn of the 20th century and lasted until 1914. It was characterized by natural shapes and lines (plants, flowers, waves), and so on. The artist who designed this mug was a young Munich artist named Carl Moos (German: Carl Moos). He was born in 1878 in Munich, the son of a portrait artist. Carl Moos received his professional art education in Munich. He chose the field of commercial art design, which involves creating posters, illustrations for comics, newspapers, and magazines, as well as commercial advertising and other design projects. Due to his young age, he became a prominent representative of Jürgendstil.
On this mug, you can see a collection of Karl Moos's favorite artistic techniques. These include the use of a wavy line in blue and light blue shades around the entire perimeter of the mug. Typically, he used a single wavy line for 1/2-liter and 1-liter mugs. In this case, due to the significant size, it was necessary to use a wavy line as an additional border for the main drawing at the top and bottom.
To the left and right of the main part of the drawing, you can see geometric structures in the form of squares and spirals.
These elements are decorated with large green cones and vases with red flowers.
This combination can be found on most of the beer mugs designed by Carl Moos. In fact, it can be considered a part of his signature style. Although there are examples when he allowed himself some deviations. He used a round spiral instead of a square one, and so on with cones and flower vases.
Carl Moos has his own signature. It is a monogram of the first letters of his name, "C" and his last name, "M", with the letter "C" covering the letter "M" from the bottom left and top.
At some point, Karl Moos stopped using his personal signature on some of his works. There is an explanation for this.
In the first decade of the 20th century, artists began to form associations in Munich in order to compete in the market for commissions. One of the first such associations was a group of six poster artists called "Die Sechs." There is reason to believe that Karl Moos, in order to commemorate his involvement in the design of this two-liter mug, placed the letter "D" on the outside of the bottom, the first letter of the name of the commercial artist association he belonged to. The number 31 represents the illustration's sequential number in his registry.
Now, let's talk about the content of the central part of the drawing. Here, we see the image of a Munich child, a symbol of the capital of Bavaria. The Munich child, holding a beer mug and a snack, has always been depicted on souvenir mugs with the German phrase "Grussaus München." Translated, it means "Hello from Munich." However, in our case, there is no such phrase above the Munich child. However, there is an inscription "Zum Wohl" under the handle of the mug, which is a traditional German toast meaning "To your health!" or "Be well!".
This is a clear indication of the exclusivity and value of the item.
You can watch a video about this mug by clicking on the link: [link]
View the collection of Paulo Vik Falcon
| type | stein | material | stoneware |
| producer |
Reinhold Merkelbach producer info | mold | - |
| designer/decorator | Carl Moos | ||
| capacity | 2 | ||
| design date | 1904-1908 | ||
| height | 28.0 cm (appx. 10.9 inches.) |
Show items by producer Reinhold Merkelbach
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