Antique 1897 Minneapolis Brewing Company advertising beer mug. Barrel-form ceramic body made by Villeroy & Boch at Mettlach, Germany, form 2217, then imported and transfer-decorated for the American market by Albert Pick & Co. of Chicago.The front carries the brewery logo: “MINNEAPOLIS BREWING CO.” in white lettering on a blue band, around a red medallion with a white “M,” flanked by green hop cones and yellow barley stalks. Cream glaze, applied handle, no lid. This form was made as a commercial blank; the handle is notched for a pewter lid, but most brewery examples, including this one, were sold lidless.Marks:
• Impressed 2217 (Mettlach form number)
• Impressed 97 (year code for 1897)
• Impressed 4/10 L on the side (0.4 liter, about 13.5 oz)
• Green Villeroy & Boch crest
• Green “Made in Germany”
• Black stamp: “IMPORTED & DECORATED BY ALBERT PICK & CO. CHICAGO”Minneapolis Brewing Company was formed in 1890–91 from four Minneapolis breweries and introduced Golden Grain Belt in 1893. This mug dates to 1897, four years into the Grain Belt era and well before Prohibition. Albert Pick & Co. was a Chicago hotel and restaurant supplier that imported Mettlach blanks and had them decorated for American breweries. “Made in Germany” was required on U.S. imports after the 1890 McKinley Tariff.Condition: graphics are clear and complete. Handle is solid. Light age speckling and small dark spots in the glaze, consistent with use. No lid was present. Please review all photos for the final word on condition; ask if you need another angle.Ships double-boxed. U.S. shipping only unless arranged in advance.
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