Right up front - this is most likely not a beer or liquor related item but it's a follow-up to yesterday's post in which I featured a ceramic container with similar proportions which was used to hold 'Kirschwasser' (cherry flavored Schnapps). This has an interesting backstory. One day Bettina and I went to her sister's house and her brother-in-law said he had something for me. There were two similar clay containers on the mantle still covered in mud. Mannie worked for a firm which 'mined' clay from the Westerwald countryside. The clay is what helped the Westerwald region of Germany gain renown for its ceramicware - the raw material for ceramic production was right at their backdoor.
Bettina's brother-in-law had said that this was an unusual find in that the capacity (3 liters) was marked with a Roman numeral 'III' instead of the number '3'. The vessel itself is intact but has no stopper. There may have been nothing more than a simple cork stopper vs. the elaborate wire device as seen in yesterday's post. Container's like this may have held vegetable oil or other liquids, grain, flour, or whatever the owner felt they need to store that would fit into the opening. Enjoy! Opa Fritz
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