beaker

Napoleon's defeat in 1815 brought peace and prosperity to Austria and Germany. A large middle class enjoyed a comfortable way of life. The style of restrained elegance and simplicity found in homes of this period was later termed “Biedermeier.” Glasses made at that time were marked by classical taste. They were decorated with portraits, hunting scenes, and picturesque views of cities and towns. In the early 1800s, Samuel Mohn, a porcelain decorator in Dresden, was a leading figure in reviving the technique of painting in transparent enamels on glass vessels. His son, Gottlob Samuel Mohn, enameled beakers that showed scenes in and around Dresden. The example shown here is inscribed “Meissen.” Mohn’s glasses were often encircled by a colored floral garland below the rim. The vine border on the Corning beaker is an unusual variant.