Tankard (Schnelle)
A utilitarian drinking vessel, this tankard is nevertheless richly decorated. The three rectangular reliefs depict scenes from the Old Testament stories of Joseph, Joshua, and David, surrounded by classicizing decorative motifs. Each relief was likely one of many molded individually before being applied to the tankard’s body. By the seventeenth century, sturdy German stoneware tankards were a common export to England and to colonists in America. They were prized for their ability to retain liquids because of their nonporous ceramic bodies.
Artwork Details
- Title: Tankard (Schnelle)
- Maker: Workshop of Hans Hilgers (active 1565–95)
- Date: ca. 1570–80
- Culture: German, Siegburg
- Medium: Salt-glazed stoneware; pewter
- Dimensions: Height: 15 1/4 in. (38.7 cm)
- Classification: Ceramics-Pottery
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1911
- Object Number: 11.93.4
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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Hans Hilgers
dated 1573
F. Trac
16th century
British mounts and German, Siegburg ceramic
ca. 1580
British mounts and German, Siegburg ceramic
ca. 1580
French, Saint-Porchaire or Paris
ca. 1550
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