Stein help..Bottoms up?

[Copperhead]

This beer stein sat on the fireplace mantel of our home since I was a kid. It was given to my father when he was in the service and is inscribed with his name. There is a label on it saying Zinn giesser. I showed it to my older brother today, who is visting from California, figuring he would like it, to keep in the family. Well needless to say, I was quite surprised when he replied, "I remember this", took it over to a light and said "look here"....the last picture taken is of the inside of the stein being held up to the light. After enjoying the stein for 40+ years, today was my first view of the secret it held in it's bottom. My google search of the name resulted in numerous sites in German. Is anyone here familiar with this type of stein and the process used to create it? ...thanks

 

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[PBK]

It's called a lithophane stein. Google "lithophane" and you should get some good hits on the process, etc.

 

[Copperhead]

Thanks PBK...taking your advice I found this web site for anyone interested:

http://www.theporcelaingarden.com/history.htm

to quote one section:

Another popular application for lithophanes was to cast them into the bottom of drinking vessels. As one would finish his drink, a delicate image would appear in the bottom of the cup or mug. In Germany, many beer steins were made with lithophanes in the base; sometimes with images that were quite risqué! From Denmark, and France came beautiful tea and demitasse sets with lovely images in the bottom of the cup. In the early 20th-century, Japanese potteries began to produce lavishly decorated tea sets (called Dragonware) with images of geishas in the bottom. This practice became quite popular in the post-WWII and Occup ied Japan era for the GI trade in Japan. Production of these teacups tapered off in the 1950's, and a few are still being made today.

As usual, you nailed it....thanks again

 

[Harry_Morant]

I think she's had some work done

A nice find.

 

[Illinois Jeff]

I see all women like that after my 16th beer!!

 

[FISHEYE]

my dad was stationed in germany when he was in the air force,he has about 20 of those steins,some 3 feet tall.they all have nekid women in the bottoms.i guess the purpose was to let you know you were looking at a fox an not a dog after many beers.

 

[AU24K]

When you hold it up to the light, are you holding it with your left hand or right hand? Most likely it will be your right hand. If the image is right-side up when held with your left hand, it could be rare indeed. The same is true with mustache cups. There is actually left handed mustache cups. On a side note, many people mistake mustache cups for tea cups that have the strainer piece along the rim. Tea cups most generally have holes pierced in the strainer part whereas mustache cups have just a straight piece across part of the rim.
Scott