Humpen Glass

Humpen glass, extremely large, cylindrical beaker (Humpen), often with outward-curving sides, on a simple base, made in Germany in the 16th and 17th centuries. Typical features are the rim ornamentation—a ring of fine powdered gold below a line of beading in pearls of various colours—and the enamel decoration. Humpen can be divided into three types. Reichsadlerhumpen carry a double-headed eagle and imperial German crown. The bird’s breast is usually covered with either a large crucifix or a ball of empire; the arms of the German electors and the 48 members of the Holy Roman Empire are sometimes arranged along the wing feathers. The earliest example dates from 1547. Kurfürstenhumpen depict either the German emperor on horseback, with the three spiritual electors behind him and four princes below, or the kaiser enthroned, with three or four princes on either side. Fichtelgebirgehumpen are decorated with mountain landscapes. None of the surviving examples of Humpen dates before the middle of the 16th century. The best examples come from southern Germany but cannot be attributed to any particular manufacturer.