Ochsenkopfhumpen
Manufacturer
Unknown
CultureFranconian (German) or Bohemia
Date1729
MediumBlown and enameled glass
DimensionsOverall: 8 15/16 in. (22.7 cm)
Overall, Rim: 4 3/16 in. (10.6 cm)
Base: 5 7/16 in. (13.8 cm)
Overall, Rim: 4 3/16 in. (10.6 cm)
Base: 5 7/16 in. (13.8 cm)
InscribedDer Edle Fichtelberg: vier Ströhme läset fleißen aus seinen /
hohen Schos, die alle Seiten küssen, der vier getheilten Welt: /
die Eger osten ehrt. Nab, Süden. Nord, die Saal. West= /
werts der Mayn sich kehrt. Die Eger und die Saal, /
der Elb sich anvertrauen in Böhm und Sachßenland. /
Nab kommt zur Wasser-frauen der Donau, dürch /
die Pfaltz, Mayn fält in Rhein hinein, und senden/
und [sic] dafür: viel Früchte, Saltz und Wein.
Johann Casimir Andreas Scheürmann
Anno 1729 Mayn Eger Nab Saal.
Translation:
The noble Fichtelberg: four streams flow out from its
high womb, kissing all sides of the divided-in-four-parts world:
The Eger looks to the east, Naab, south, North, the Saale, west-
wards veers the Main. The Eger and the Saale
entrust themselves to the Elbe in Bohemia and Saxony.
The Naab comes to the water nymphs of the Danube. Through
the Palatinate (Pfalz), the Main falls into the Rhine, and sends
us in return much fruit, salt, and wine.
Johann Casimir Andreas Scheürmann
Year 1729 Main Eger Naab Saale.
Credit LineGift of Dr. Eugen Grabscheid
Object number63.37.11
On View
Chrysler Museum of Art, Gallery 116-2, Case 13
The Ochsenkopf (Ox’s Head) is one of the tallest peaks in the Fichtelberg mountain region in Germany, just outside Bayreuth in Bavaria, not too far from the Czech border. This region is the source of four rivers that flow in four different directions. These rivers are the subject of the inscription and are depicted on the vessel, flowing out of the tall green mountain. The Eger (now known mainly by its Czech name Ohre) flows east, the Naab flows south, the Saal (modern spelling Saale) flows north, and the Mayn (modern spelling Main) flows west. The Eger and Saal both eventually dump into the Elbe (the Eger goes through Karlovy Vary/Karlsbad and joins just north of Prague, while the Saale goes up through Jena and Halle to Magdeburg). The Naab goes south into the Danube by Regensburg, and the Main goes west through Bayreuth, Würzburg, and Frankfurt to join the Rhine at Mainz. Thus, the poem is praising the Ochsenkopf as a mountain that is the source of rivers which touch all four corners of the world (that is, German-speaking Europe), in essence saying that vast riches are flowing out of this rich-in-resources place. It is a type of Garden of Eden, and the cup and poem celebrate and take pride in its bounty. The name Fichtelberg comes from Fichte (pine tree), indicating that the region is known for its thick, rich forests, filled with animals and also a source of mineral wealth. Thus we have animals depicted on the Humpen, and the lock further symbolizes the bounty and wealth of this area. The precise purpose of such decorated beer glasses is not certain, but it is presumed that they are intended to help celebrate and toast the Fichtelberg region, thus making them objects of regional pride.
Published ReferencesA. Von Saldern, _German Enameled Glass_, pg. 182-190 & 392-399, ill. #102-107. Diane C. Wright (editor), _Glass: Masterworks from the Chrysler Museum of Art_ (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2017), pg. 60-1.
