Antique Early German Etched Glass Beer Stein Swan Thumblift circa 1830s. This beautiful stein was made in the 1830s, it is guaranteed old give ot take 10 years. It is made in a very traditional style of freehand blown glass with copper whell engraving and the pewter lid. The stein is decorated with etched drawings of stylized floral design. This type of decoration was produced with a small copper wheel. Cutting and engraving glass with lathe mounted copper wheels smeared with a grit paste is older than glass itself, originating in early Babylon or Egypt with cut gemstones. The belt driven lathe carries a range of interchangeable spindles, each carrying a copper wheel of varying width, diameter and profile, to suit the cut. A loose paste of emery or carborundum grit, oil and paraffin is applied to the turning copper wheel. The lid is pewter with the thumblift in form of swan spreading wings and lowering its neck, and 5-ring closed-type hinge. The animal/bird thumblifts were mostly used in the 1820s-1840s. I have a feeling that these swan or maybe it is heron? With lowering the neck is maybe connected with a loss of a person and comfoting gift. The lid is engraved with initials M. ” The lid is also stamped with the pewterer’s mark – “J. The stein is in excellent condition – a very rare occurence with the steins these old. There are no lines, no chips or any other damage to the body whatsoever. The lid is in good shape with no damage or repairs and is sitting pretty tight. The stein is 7 tall to the top of the thumblift, 0.5L capacity. Get Supersized Images & Free Image Hosting. Attention Sellers – Get Templates Image Hosting, Scheduling at Auctiva. Com. Track Page Views With. Auctiva’s FREE Counter.