Richard Riemerschmid was a central figure in the Munich Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) movement. Versatile as a designer of ceramics, glass, metalwork, furniture, and architecture, Riemerschmid created modern, unpretentious utilitarian wares. The design of this jug, while clearly contemporary, also alludes to the long-standing German stoneware tradition. Riemerschmid, strongly influenced by the British Arts and Crafts movement, became a founding member of the Deutsche Werkstãtten für Kunst und Handwerk in 1897 and of the Deutscher Werkbund in 1907. He was one of the first important designers of affordable, machine-made goods in the twentieth century.
