The V & B Mettlach No. 6. – So You Think You Have Seen Them All? Revised 6-6-14 ]

THE OLD CHAPEL AT METTLACH – CALLED BY STEIN COLLECTORS: “THE METTLACH CASTLE.”

V & B Mellach  No. 6  [ 1]

These five  photos show the oldest V & B Mettlach Server, with  mold number 6, which I believe was probably their best seller.  This version has an all over very light tan body color ,  with No colors on body or lettering . A single “6” in old style numeral  and no other  marks . (see “Mettlach Early Ware” in Compendium. )  

,

,

.

THE OTHER EARLIEST VERSIONS  ▼  ▼:

V & B  M – No. 6 [2] –  Scene  border stripes of green , NO black or colored letters,  upright top of handle.  [JS]

I never was “Into” the V & B  Mettlachs (hence forth =  “Mettlachs.”) I had a few over the years  but for the most part the fact that they were so very numerous and factory,  production line made, was just a big turn off for me. But of course I was very aware of them and their market; how could you not be and be an antique beer stein collector? 

One day the Mrs. Stuart and I were out shopping in Old Town just “rooting” around. Judy has been a long term friend of mine and after her husband died she and I hung about together a lot and “did the shops.” In fact we hung together so much that at SCI events she is known as “Steve’s stein-wife,” as my Lady Julia could not care less about any of my old dead man’s things! 

Why did she, Julia  become my real wife you ask? Well it seems that that is a common malady amongst many male beer stein collectors. And for most people (but not me) there is a life out there besides steins! Or so I have been told.

Well now back to the intro: I spotted a No. 6 in one of the shops, it was lidless but I was unfamiliar with its design features [See 1-a above ▲.] I told her that she should buy it for her (then) antique shop and that she could probably make some money on it. Fast forward: She sold it a few years later, but I think she took a loss or broke even. But she has been kind enough not to bring the subject up all these years as she knows I never make errors concerning my life- . oh wait! I did make one a last month, I thought I had made a mistake, but I was wrong!

Well since then I have become more aware of Mettlach No. 6’s every time I see one, now mostly at a stein sale’s table or those listed on eBay, but this time it happened, not too long ago when I was preparing my new page on “Majolica Steins” for this site. I was searching though my data file of beer stein photos  I started sorting them  found this one (See: No. 6-3 ▼) and vowed to write old “No .6” up as a subject page in the future. I thought the idea of there being such a long life span of production for this one V & B piece was interesting (and also because I could!)

 

          

Again Side views of V & B  M – No. 6  [2]

V & B  M – No. 6 [3]  

▼ – Blue border stripes, no black or colored letters, upright top of handle /  The top of this handle makes a different, a more pronounced crook than  [6 above .]  It also comes with a nice  looking custom pewter lid.

V & B  M – No. 6 [2-B]

V & B  M (?) – No. 6 [4] – Or someone else’s Majolica server with its design? No marks were available with this photo .

All green with highlighted areas made by wiping off the glaze just a bit, upright top of handle, and with no red first letters evident. The handle crook is the same as [5 ] above,  but the attachment to the handle is very different. The number of strings is the same as is the draping of his frock.

But the jury is still out on this one as we don’t have the marks. I will  have to study this one a bit more closely but I’m leaning towards it being a Mettlach version, for as big a seller as this was for V &B I think they would have gone after the copier in the German   courts. Still there would be the possibility that some could have been made and sold this one before V &B  could get an “Abmahnung” = German law for a formal request by one person to another person to stop a certain behavior forthwith) otherwise known here as a “cease and desist order.”

This is your call on this one, my readers. Anyone out there have one of these and care to share the mark information?

LATER VERSIONS:

V & B  M – No. 6. [5]  All grey color body and black letters with  Red first letters,  with no lid.  A lot of these are seen; several had lids added locally, both when produced and up to the present day, but  not at the V & B  factory.

 

V & B  M – No. 6 [6-a] – Original factory ceramic lid, with the body all grey color. black letters with Red first letters.

V & B  M – No. 6 [6-b] – Original pewter lid, not inlaid,  with the body in all grey color. black letters with Red first letters,

 

V & B  M – No. 6 [7] – Original ceramic lid with gray body background, body top and border stripes of a light tan  / cream. All black lettering  

V & B  M – No 6. [8] – Original ceramic lid with blue body background, black lettering with red first letters, body décor  and border stripes of a light tan / cream.

V & B  M – No 6 [9] – Original pewter lid with blue body background, black lettering with red first letter body top and border stripes of a light tan / cream.

V & B  M – No 6 [10] – An interesting added pewter lid, black lettering with no colored first letters, body top and border stripes of a light tan/ cream.  With a custom made and attached lid.

No. 6 [10] server with six original .3 liter relief steins forming the set. Black lettering.

And a nice Westerwald copy. Two toned saltglazed  stoneware server, but with a Bartmann molded lip. All  scenes are on the correct sides of the server on this one, not so on next Westerwald server, below.

Rear panel with an added eight pointed star in relief.

.

.

Of course once one design becomes popular and  sells well, then other companies notice and produce their own version. Above▲: Another colored  version of the No. 6 ‘s scene of David playing his harp. On a Westerwald pottery relief beer server,  10.5 inches tall. Circa 1870.  Notice the scene is reversed and a few features were added; same verse however as on the V & B piece ▲. The other two scenes are different however.

Below is another Westerwald pottery relief beer server. Approximately  10.5 inches tall. Circa 1870. All three panel designs match the V & B Mettlach version the rear by the handle has a phrase instead of the  Humpen and scroll usually found on the V & B piece, number 862 . =  not in SCI’S catalogs (1 – 2-014)

The chip if free, no extra charge!

,

.

Above ▲;  A different colored pottery relief version,  [1]  David and his harp are on opposite side panels from the V & B Mettlach version.and  [2] comes with a very small spout.  [3] David and the harp are facing in the opposite direction.  this Dümler & Breiden,  form No. 151,  which means it was produced early in that firm’s history! The Other side panels were not available at posting .

 

Westerwald  wine jug,   AS above but in blue and grey stoneware. (nicer I think!) version of David and his harp on an earlier See castle in background . and notice he is facing  opposite of that shown on V & B Mettlach n.o. 6   10.5 inches. Circa 1870.

JANUARY 20,2015

I HAVE JUST LOCATED ANOTHER INTERESTING VERSION – In a bright majolica design!! The photos can be seen on the Ruby Lane web site until it sells I suppose. http://www.rubylane.com/item/942088-RL1073/19th-Century-German-Majolica-Wine-Jug

[Photo from Ruby Lane seller  ‘Collectors-Row’=  Raymond Levin,  Woodstock, IL

The three main scenes are the same with an added one under the handle of a man wearing a cap ( I have seen that  image somewhere else, but  I cant pull it up and out of this cancer brain of mine !!)

http://www.rubylane.com/item/942088-RL1073/19th-Century-German-Majolica-Wine-Jug

BELOW ▼ am not certain  this is one is different in any way from No. 6 [ 9 & 10 above], but the  bright orange-yellow,  rather than a weak cream- yellow –  coloration certainly makes it appear very different!  I’m calling it [No. 11]

  .

.

 An excellent enlarged photo of the animals head (ram?)  finial on the harp  (not as pronounced on others!)

 

[AWPD] –  SOK – 35[?] – R5]

WISH  TO CONTACT STEPHEN  ?  =

     “Life is like a coin, you can choose to spend it anyway you wish, but you can only do it once.”

.

 

 

.

.

 11:45 stopped here find the other photos and post