One of the great things about websites like this one is the fact that it’s a community. What this means is that we end up with something that is greater than the sum of its parts. Simply put, the bigger a community gets, the more wisdom and knowledge it comes to collectively posses.
With this in mind, one of our readers wanted to know more information about an item. While we can’t authenticate items, nor can we help when it comes to determining their value, it can’t hurt to occasionally share an item with the rest of you. In applying our collective knowledge, perhaps we can help this reader get pointed in the right direction when it comes to figuring out what it is he has.
Take a look at this mug:
First off, I seriously doubt that it could be English. The shape is totally wrong (traditional English dimpled mugs tend to be rounder in shape):
In addition, the painting is almost definitely continental. The stein the figure is holding suggests Germany (though the bread and turnips could be from anywhere in Northern Europe). Unfortunately, I don’t know my art history well enough to be able to track down the origin of the work (it could be Belgian or even Danish, for example). I did, however, find an analog image:
Pretty close, huh? Though I would say that the latter image appears to be much more modern in origin (the borders on the latter piece have a somewhat Art Nouveau look). And, as Carlsberg is a Danish company, this would tend to back up my theory that the mug could be from Denmark. But as it apparently has no manufacturers name on it, there is no way to be certain of this.
Some of the better glassware manufacturers put a makers mark on their products; for example, Ravenhead from England usually etches a small image of a raven somewhere on the glass. But glassware can be hard to figure out sometimes, as our current mystery shows. Be sure to examine your glassware carefully, as you may have overlooked something that can reveal a great deal.
And if anyone has any info that can help our reader determine more about his awesome mug, please drop a note in the comments.
