Rummer facts for kids
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A rummer (also known as a Römer) is a special type of drinking glass. It was very popular in places like the Rhineland and the Netherlands from the 1400s to the 1600s. Rummers are easy to spot because they have small bumps, called prunts, all over them. These bumps helped people hold the glass without it slipping, especially if their hands were wet or greasy from food. Rummers usually have a green color and a thick, hollow base.
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What Makes a Rummer Special?
Rummers are different from other old glasses like the Berkemeyer. They don't have a wide, flared top, and their sides are thinner. The bottom part of a rummer is hollow and was made by wrapping melted glass around a cone shape. Both rummers and Berkemeyers came from older German glasses known as "cabbage stalk" glasses, which were shaped like cylinders and also had prunts. Sometimes, rummers were decorated with pictures or words.
A Look Back: The History of Rummers
Glassmaking in the Rhineland
People in the Rhine area were making beautiful glass as early as the 200s AD. Digs in places like Worms, Trier, and Cologne have found old glass factories. These factories were probably started by the Romans, which is interesting because "Römer" is the German word for "Roman."
Old graves in the Rhineland have also shown off fancy bowls and cups decorated with gold. This was done using a special method called fondo d'oro, which means "base of gold." In this technique, a design was carved into a layer of gold on the glass, and then more glass was put over it. This way of decorating glass continued until the 400s, with popular designs showing stories from myths and the Bible. It was during this time that the unique bumps, or prunts, became a common feature on German glass. You can still find this design fifteen centuries later!
From Römer to Rummer
The German word "Römer" changed over time to become "rummer" in English. English rummers became very popular from the late 1700s through the 1800s. Many rummers made during the Victorian era had special carvings. These carvings often included personal messages or symbols from groups like the Masons. Even today, rummers are considered some of the most useful old drinking glasses.
Images for kids
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Still Life with Walnut, Bread, and Herring with Silver Salt Cellar and Glass of Wine, Pieter Claesz, 1628.
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A still life with a roemer, a crab and a peeled lemon, Pieter Claesz, 1643
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Still Life with Fruit and Roemer, 1644
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Pieter Claesz (1637)
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Stilleven met vruchten, oesters en een porseleinen kom by Abraham Mignon (1660 - 1679)
