Imperial Eagle beaker

Lore & Background

Most Imperial Eagle beakers had a capacity of three to four liters and were crafted from white or coloured glass, standing 20 to 32 cm tall with a diameter of 10 to 15 cm. They were occasionally fitted with a lid and foot made of brass or tin. The decorations were painted using glass enamel, a technique that reached Germany from Venice via Tirol. The paints were blended with crushed glass, and after painting, the glasses were reheated to fuse the colors, ensuring durability and bright shine. Originally, the eagle bore a holy cross or crucified Jesus on its chest, symbolizing the Christian foundation of the Empire. From the beginning of the 17th century, the crucified Jesus was generally replaced with the Empire's orb. A total of 56 coats of arms of prince-electors, estates, and imperial cities were depicted on the wings in quaternion formation. The coats of arms of the electors were placed in the first row next to the eagle's head, with twelve stripes of four coats of arms below. Representations of the imperial eagle, emperor, and electors became common under Leopold I at the end of the 17th century. The double-headed eagle was crowned and given a halo as a sign of the Empire's sanctity. Dedications, explanations, dates, and the glass creator's name often appeared on the back. A beaker from 1669, exhibited in the museum Grimma, bears the inscription: 'The Holy Roman Empire; with all members in the year 1669 Hanß George Sommer.' Toasts and blessings from the end of the Thirty Years' War indicate use at welcoming ceremonies and guild meetings.

Reader's Guide

The Imperial Eagle beaker held significance as a decorative embodiment of the ideal of durable unity within the Holy Roman Empire, demonstrating the emotional relationship of a broad public to the Empire. The quaternion eagle depicted the quaternion theory, a model developed in the 14th century that divided the Empire's classes into fictitious groups of four, remaining popular until the Empire's end despite often misleading constellations. The beaker was connected to early modern drinking culture, where toasting expressed solidarity between owner and Empire, especially among the lower aristocracy, bourgeoisie, patricians, and city guilds. Most proven owners were craftsmen and guilds, with few exemplars in baronial ownership. Production occurred mainly in Bohemia, Saxony, Thuringia, Hesse, and the Fichtelgebirge. The glassmakers' guild of Bohemian Kreibitz in 1669 required an imperial eagle beaker as a masterpiece in one and a half days. The beaker appears in Richard Braithwaite's 1616 work 'Ius Potandi' and is thought by historian Sven Lüken to be referenced in Goethe's line 'The dear Holy Roman Empire, how does it stay together?' At the end of the 19th century, these beakers were frequently faked. Well-preserved pieces achieve auction prices up to several thousand euros.

Did You Know?

• The oldest known exemplar, from 1571, is displayed at the British Museum in London.
• One of the five oldest beakers, from 1572, is at the Württembergischen Landesmuseum in Stuttgart.
• At the end of the 19th century, Imperial Eagle beakers were frequently faked.