Antique porcelain beer mug from Villeroy & Boch "The Drinking Gnome". The capacity of the mug is about 0.5 liters. The absence of a label indicating the size of the mug's capacity suggests that the mug was made before 1871. At the same time, we can definitely say that this unique and very rare mug should be perceived as a guest from the distant 1860. In the same year, the Luxembourg division of Villeroy & Boch (V&B) began to produce mugs of this shape. The milky white porcelain surface of the mug is decorated with a rich cobalt blue painting. The recesses of the relief of the mug surfaces are highlighted with contrasting gilding. Vertical blue-cobalt lines are applied to the surface of the edges, leaving the mirror of the faces intact. Upon careful examination of the surfaces covered with blue, you can see the golden outlines of the elements of the floral decor on them. Such fine handwork by decorative artists significantly increases the collectible value of the item. The pewter lid is inlaid with a porcelain insert, which is crowned by a figurine in the form of a dwarf quenching thirst. The design of this mug was ahead of its time by half a century. In the middle of the 19th century, it was not customary to experiment with the shape of a beer mug — to move away from the usual cylindrical or conical to variations with faces and edges. Although the artists tried to look for new forms within the framework of existing foundations. As a result, the mug received a rectangular base and a round upper part. It turned out to be quite decent and did not cause rejection. Rather, the opposite is true. The design, so unusual for its time, began to be in demand. There are many mugs of this shape that lack the V&B stamp. However, on those where such a stamp is available, you can find the form number 24. However, in the V&B Mettlach factory catalog, another form is present under the number 24. For this reason, the absence of a brand should not raise doubts about the legitimacy of V&B mugs in this form.
View the collection of Paulo Vik Falcon
Producer infoWe see 8 more items in our database with the same mold number and the same producer:
Show items by producer Villeroy & Boch
Comments (0)
Log in to add a comment.