Imperial German Reservists stein of Tambour Adolf Thoma

Imperial German Reservists stein of Tambour Adolf Thoma, who played the drum while serving in the 19th Royal Bavarian Infantry Regiment “King Viktor Emanuel III of Italy” from 1902 to 1904, This unit, raised in 1890, was a part of the Bavarian III Corps, and the Regiment was garrisoned in the city of Erlangen, a middle Franconian city in Bavaria. The city was founded in 1002.
Tambour Thoma had his stein reflect his service. He stands center, viewer’s left, wearing the shooting lanyard awarded to sharpshooters, which is attached to his right shoulderboard. This is rarely seen on reservist’s steins, especially one that belonged to a musician. The number of acorns that dangle from the cord are not visible, so the class of the award cannot be determined. The large panel to the viewer’s right is decorated with the rare depiction of both Hornists (trumpeters) and Tambour (drummers) massed in what would appear to be a regimental or battalion parade. Most companies had a maximum of two hornists and two tambour. Here we see two ranks of no less than eight of each musician on parade, led by a drum major. The opposite panel depicts the more traditional scenes found on these vessels, the departure of the reservist from his sweetheart, and the regiment marching to bivouac in the background, Another reservist lifts his stein high as he stands before the local gasthaus. Less traditional is the scene under the crystal faceted lid which depicts the reservist on guard, saluting the officer and his wife as they pass his station. Note that inside the guardhouse, he has hidden his lady from view. If she had been seen by the officer, the consequences would have been less than pleasant.
The designs on this stein were protected under patent as evidenced by the “Ges Gesch—No. 203” that appears directly below the crossed rifle stocks in the central illustration. The stein was manufactured by Gebrud. Bergmann in Munich, and the initials of the decorator “K. C.” appears on the interior of the lower skirt of the stein.