1970s Vintage Merkelbach Salzglasur Handarbeit Goebel 2 Pitcher 5 Cup Set, Cobalt Blue Diamond Pattern, Salt Glaze Pottery, Made In Germany

2 Pitcher 5 Cup Set of Merkelbach Salzglasur Handarbeit Goebel Blue Diamond Salt Glaze Stoneware

My photos are part of my description - please view them all and read the entire description prior to purchase. Props are not included.

What an especially rare find - a large set of Salzglasur pottery in the highly collectible blue diamond pattern. There are seven pieces included in this set.

The Reinhold Merkelbach factory started producing pottery in 1843. The progression of the stoneware in relation to time can be traced by the stamps on the bottom of each piece. This set was produced between 1970 to 1978.

Beginning with the large pitcher - I haven't seen another pitcher this big in all my searching, it stands at 9½" tall and holds 76 (+) fluid ounces! It's easy to see why this is a much sought after pattern - the cobalt blue diamonds with their extremely high gloss finish absolutely pop off the front of the pitcher from their slashed engraving into the stoneware. There are two rings of the blue on the neck of the pitcher plus a circle of blue where the handle top is anchored, and the signature "Y" beneath the tail of the handle. The background of this piece is a subtle gray. This pitcher is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks or damage of any kind.

The smaller pitcher is 6" tall and holds 16 (+) fluid ounces. There is "1/2 L" engraved into the neck of this pitcher. Just like it's larger cousin, this pitcher has exactly the same decoration and is in exactly the same excellent condition.

There are five cups that come with this set. The cups show a bit more character as they all are just a bit different from one another. Each cup is just a tad taller or shorter from the next, but all are approximately 3 5/8" tall and hold 4.5 (+) fluid ounces. The pattern on all five cups is the same cobalt blue diamond to match the pitchers. The cups, with the exception of one perfect cup, each have a factory flaw. Three cups have one small spot where the glaze didn't cover but the blue is there so you barely notice. The final cup has a 1/2 inch line right at the rim where the pottery clay was not made smooth and the glaze or paint didn't seal properly, this may be a chip but I think it was created at the factory. The final photo above shows pictures of each cup flaw mentioned here.

Every piece of this set has the same Makers stamp. This is a beautiful set of Salt Glaze Pottery made by one of the best known stein makers ever.