Tankards Collection (#2)

Cutout Christmas card in the shape of a tankard with holly, ivy leaves and horseshoe. Date: circa 1890s

German Beerhouse Waitress, carrying a mass (!) of beer tankards. The card is flanked by turnips, sausages and pretzels to complete the Germanic flavour.... Date: circa 1937

Men in pirate or sailor costume
Two men in pirate or sailor costume with beer tankards, Portsmouth, England. circa 1967

Five bulldogs in tankards on a Christmas card
Five bulldogs sitting in tankards on a Christmas card, each one holding an envelope in his paw. Date: circa 1890s

Source Size = 3930 x 2226
Tankards, Goblets, and Cups, Art Loan Collection, South Kensington Museum, London, 1871

Carved Lintel, Stabbur and Tankards

Men drinking, illustration from Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus by Olaus Magnus
KW260606 Men drinking, illustration from Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus by Olaus Magnus (1490-1557) published in Rome, 1555

Chelsea Pensioners Receiving the Gazette Announcing the Battle of Waterloo Signed in brown paint, lower left: " Wilkie", Sir David Wilkie, 1785-1841, British

View on the Thames with Westminster Bridge, Samuel Scott, ca. 1702-1772, British

Still life with a terracotta amphora and a branch in front of a yellow wall, Turkey

Barman has a stern word with a disreputable customer who has been stealing pewter beer tankards, which he has been turning into coinage to bring back to spend at the same establishment

Cider Merchants - Normandy, Northern France
Cider Merchants at a fair in Normandy, Northern France. Date: circa 1910

The Royal Regalia held in the Tower of London
The Royal Regalia held in the Wakefield Tower at the Tower of London Date: circa 1912

Carved Lintel, Stabbur and Tankards

The winning Polo team at Cowdray with the Junior Challenge Cup, August 1949 George Garland Collection West Sussex Record Office Ref No: Garland N32400

Barrack canteen interior, 1872
Soldiers of the Army Service Corps relaxing in the canteen on Bottle Bush Down during their Autumn Campaign in Wiltshire, England

THE CROSS HANDS PUB
The Cross Hands inn sign, near Gloucester, England. This amusing pictorial inn sign shows two hands crossed, holding foaming tankards of ale!

German Drinkers C18
A rather dissipated group of gentlemen drinking beer from tankards and smoking pipes at German court. A practical joker sets a bear cub onto a reveller, whose wig comes off!

German Pipe Smokers C18
Gentlemen drinking beer from tankards and smoking pipes at German court. A practical joker sets a bear cub onto a reveller, whose wig comes off!

Bierkeller Waitress 1901
Waitress in a German bierkeller brings tankards of foaming ale to her customers

Hatmaking 1750
Hatmakers at work round their kettle - a workbench placed over a heated stove to make the materials easier to work

Disraeli / Berlin / 1878
BENJAMIN DISRAELI Earl of Beaconsfield In Berlin, 1878

Medieval Drinking
A medieval drinking scene in Scandinavia - a serious drinking session with huge and elaborate tankards

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Tankards have a rich and fascinating history, as evidenced by the rejected invention of the Heath Robinson's Inventions Board IX. These sturdy vessels were often seen in the hands of merry patrons, like the biergarten waitress effortlessly carrying beer tankards to eager customers. They were also favored by those who loved to revel in fancy dress, as depicted by two women joyfully raising their tankards in celebration. The Brewers Society recognized the significance and even featured them prominently in their advertisement illustration. Tankards held a special place in British culture too, with Eleanor Rumming, England's famous alewife, serving her renowned brews from these iconic vessels. Across borders, German barmaids expertly wielded tankards while serving frothy pints to thirsty patrons. Even Cappadocia, Turkey boasted earthenware jugs resembling tankards that added an exotic touch to their drinking traditions. Artists captured the essence of merriment associated with tankard-filled gatherings throughout history. From "The Lute Player" oil painting showcasing a jovial musician surrounded by friends clutching their beloved drinkware to "Merrymakers in an Inn, " Adriaen van Ostade's masterpiece depicting lively scenes unfolding around tables adorned with overflowing tankards. Giovanni Volpato immortalized a barmaid diligently filling mugs during 1760-70—a testament to how integral these vessels were for communal enjoyment. Not limited to mere functionality alone, artisans crafted exquisite cylindrical carved ivory sleeves featuring depictions of The Three Graces—elevating tankard aesthetics through intricate ivory and gilded bronze designs. Even modern artists found inspiration in this timeless vessel; one such example is the mesmerizing "Glass Tankard" painted between 1937-38—an ode to its enduring allure.