Musterschutz Steins
Made in eastern Germany during the late 19th century, these porcelain steins – many of character form – were marked “Musterschutz” – a German term literally translated as “copyrighted” or “patent-protected”. These steins were originally made by the firm of Shierholz & Sohn in the city of Plaue. In 1989 the German firm Rastal began to reproduced these steins from original factory molds. Their work was of high quality and faithful to the earlier pieces. As they bear the same marks as the originals, the newer steins can be difficult to distinguish from their antecedents. Among the Musterschutz steins reproduced in this manner are “The Gooseman of Nurnberg”, “Caroline”, “Uncle Sam”, “Stag with Monocle” and “Kaiser Wilhelm I”.