This is a wonderful Karelian Birch ceremonial lion peg tankard. These are sometimes identified as burl wood steins, but appears to be Karelian Birch, which is a very rich patterned wood, similar to Birdseye maple and found in Norway. It is from the mid-1700's, approximately 1770. The thumb lift is carved as a lion, and the top of the lid also features a carved lion. The feet around the bottom are carved as full-bodied lions. There is a photo of a tankard just like this in The Beer Stein Book by Gary Kirsner in a 1.0L size for $1800-$2300 and in a 2.5L for $2500-$3500. This tankard measures 1.8L in capacity and is approximately 8 1/2" high and 6 1/2" in diameter. The stein is in very good condition, but there is a small crack in the bottom, so would not hold liquid very well in its present state, but it is over 250 years old, so somewhat understandable.

Norwegian Ceremonial ‘Lion’ Peg Tankards: These tankards were made of finely figured wood and the earliest date to the 17th century. The lion – the Royal Norwegian emblem – was often used as a national symbol on these tankards. In Norway, it was the custom for such ceremonial tankards to be used at wedding feasts. In some cases, they were used by subsequent generations of the original owner’s family, and so later dates and initials would be carved to the lids or bases, as may be the case in this example. The initials MM DL are carved into the base. As in this example, peg tankards received their name from the being marked inside with a series of pegs or pins, fixed into the interior at regular intervals. The tankards would have been filled with ale, cider or wine and then passed from hand to hand during the feast, each guest draining enough liquid until the next peg was showing. The generous proportions of the tankard and the size of each measure of alcohol suggest that it would have been rather difficult to stay sober. This tankard has a capacity of 1.8L, with 3 markings inside, which would have divided it into 4 servings, or 450ml (15 oz) per serving!

On a recent visit to The Art Institute of Chicago, I noticed in the Impressionist wing an oil painting by Paul Gaugin depicting a wooden tankard exactly like this one. Please see the last few photos to see this great painting for yourself.  Perhaps this could have been Gaugin's subject for his painting!

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