Tankard (Schnelle)

Hans Hilgers

ca. 1570–80 · Salt-glazed stoneware; pewter · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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.

Artist

Hans Hilgers

Date

ca. 1570–80

Medium

Salt-glazed stoneware; pewter

Culture

German, Siegburg

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1911