Featured Norwegian tankard?

From the pictures on the inside, even a non-wood person like me can see it looks like the handle was replaced. The original, being wood, probably broke. The knobs inside are a totally different color.

 

Suppose it's possible, but I see the same aging and patina, with a nice fit to the body. Hard to tell the intentions of the carver well over two centuries ago, but will say that I have a beautifully carved Norwegian spoon with one small section of the design where the carving was left unfinished.

The pegs may have been replaced, though the color of the bottom peg appears to have the same tone as the surrounding wood, the back of head on the top peg looks a bit too crisp and would expect it better fitted to the shape of the body, appears the end of a peg visible on the handle is original...


~Cheryl

 

I read that these mugs were most often given as wedding gifts. And they were only used at the wedding and then kept as a family heirloom. Perhaps the date carved on the bottom is the wedding date? As for the handle, it looks like it's made of a different type of wood, but it's the same color as the body. If they were made to order, would you have to pay extra for the carving on the handle?

 

They were believed to have been used at gatherings, not necessarily weddings, suspect that their being used at one wedding and then stashed away is most likely anecdotal, and would doubt its accuracy. A date might be carved for a particular occasion, but could also just be date it was made, no way to tell.

While these would have been made by skilled craftsmen, they would have also been made by amateurs, and if made of Karelian birch, or burl, the handle was usually also from a section of the same wood, often a less figured section, but if not, or if it was a replacement, the wood would still be birch. You have the tankard in hand, if your gut tells you that it's a replacement (likely old), then just make note of it. And personally, would doubt that a commissioned tankard would have carving on the handle as optional...

~Cheryl

 

I asked the seller where it came from, since Russia is not the region where these mugs are used. He said that it was bought from a collection in Moscow. After the owner died, his children sold the collection to antique dealers. The same thing awaits me) There is no other information.

All Best, Roman.

 

Thank you very much! I will not sell it, I will keep it for myself. I first encountered such a mug at an auction in a country that is in no way connected with the region of its production.