A footed tankard

In the first half of the 17th Century Kreussen, near Bayreuth in Bavaria, produced a dark greyish red stoneware with a brown salt glaze which they finely enamelled in bright opaque colours over high relief decoration. A unique innovation which was probably designed to imitate expensive Venetian glass, the technique was learnt from the German and Bohemian glass enamellers. The best examples date from the 17th century with the earliest known decorated with overglaze colours bearing a date of 1622. Sometimes, these large standing vessels decorated with the portraits of the newly-wed couple in all their finery were used for passing round and toasting at the wedding feast.