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Lot 26
A mammoth glass Roemer, Dutch or German, mid 17th century
21 May 2014, 10:30 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £10,000 inc. premium
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A mammoth glass Roemer, Dutch or German, mid 17th century
Of green tint, the generous cup-shaped bowl set on a cylindrical section applied with four rows of five raspberry prunts below an engrailed band, over a spun foot, high kick-in base, 30.8cm high
Footnotes
Provenance: The Overduin Collection
The Albrecht Nicolaas Baron de Vos van Steenwijk Collection, sold by Christie's Amsterdam, 15 May 2007, lot 2
One of a pair with lot 27. Exhibited in the Historisch Museum Arnhem from 1995-2007, accession no. VS 156, and in the Gemeentemuseum Arnhem from 1920-1995.
Roemers, like Berkemeyers, were preferred for the drinking of wine. By approximately the mid 17th century, however, they had generally replaced Berkemeyers. Large examples such as this were reserved for special occasions, when the glass would be passed around the company from hand to hand. The prunts on the stem were functional as well as decorative, as they provided a better grip for greasy hands in a time when cutlery was not commonly used for feasting. The custom of drinking from a single glass such as this when welcoming or bidding farewell to guests, or toasting to someone's health, was a custom that survived well into the 17th century. The vast majority of Roemers in the Netherlands were imported from German workshops, as Dutch workshops could not meet the demand for them. Whilst relatively common, the use of Roemers was generally restricted to the relatively wealthy. They feature commonly in still life paintings of the 16th and 17th centuries by the Dutch Masters.