Tankard (Schnelle) 1565 - 1585

Editor: We're looking at three stoneware Schnelle tankards, crafted between 1565 and 1585 by Hans Hilgers. They're incredibly detailed, almost sculptural in their ornamentation. I find the tallest one particularly striking, with what looks like elaborate relief work. What social function did these pieces serve, and who might have used them? Curator: That's a great observation! The stoneware tankards, particularly those produced in the Rhineland during the Renaissance, tell us a lot about the intersection of craft, social status, and even political identity. These weren't just everyday drinking vessels; they were often luxury items. Can you tell me about the visual storytelling that is apparent in their decoration? Editor: Well, the raised decorations depict various scenes – possibly biblical or allegorical, and maybe coats of arms too? It does feel like a very specific kind of iconography is displayed, probably appealing to their prospective owners' social aspirations and worldviews? Curator: Precisely. Their proliferation and elaboration reflect the growing economic power of the merchant class and their desire to emulate the aristocracy through conspicuous consumption. The imagery, like those heraldic symbols you noticed, would communicate status and allegiance in a very public way – think of it as wearable propaganda. Editor: So, it's a merging of utility and propaganda; is it about signaling wealth, authority, and social standing through everyday objects? Curator: Yes. How these pieces were displayed, used, and collected shapes our understanding of art and power dynamics from that period. Furthermore, you could ask about their journey through time, ending up here, in a collection such as the Met, where meanings further evolve with an increasingly diversified and international public. Editor: I never considered stoneware to be quite so laden with significance. Seeing these as both decorative art and potent social signifiers really changes how I look at them. Curator: Indeed! This shows us how everyday objects are loaded with cultural codes; once decoded they expose social lives lived many centuries ago, making us both witnesses of and participants in historical processes of meaning-making.