Bidspirit auction | Mettlach 1/2 Liter Beer Stein

Mettlach 1/2 Liter Beer Stein Mold 2640 Drinker with Saying - Mettlach (Villeroy and Boch) stoneware beer stein, mold number 2640, decorated in the Drinker with Saying pattern. This item features chromolithograph (Print Under Glaze/PUG) decoration. The central scene illustrates a tavern interior with a serving maid pouring from a pitcher into a glass held by a seated man dressed in seventeenth-century style attire. The imagery is flanked by detailed hop vines and stalks of barley. Two banners contain the German text: Credenzt von schoner hand sind jedem wundertropfen im ganzen deutschen land and Gerstensaft und Hopfen. The upper rim is incised with the capacity mark 1/2 L. The underside features the Mettlach castle icon, a V and B circle mark, Ges. Gesch., mold number 2640, and the date code 01 for the year 1901. Additional visible base marks include the Roman numeral II, the number 40, and the letter B. The stein is fitted with a domed pewter lid containing a circular ceramic inlay that portrays a young woman holding a foaming beer mug. The pewter thumb lift is cast with decorative classical motifs. The item is in excellent antique condition. The stoneware body is free of chips, cracks, or visible repairs. The chromolithograph transfer decoration remains vibrant and intact. The pewter lid and hinge are functional and secure, displaying a natural dark patina consistent with age. The ceramic lid inlay is undamaged. The interior is clean with only minor mineral staining at the bottom. Minimal shelf wear is present on the unglazed foot rim.