Small Biedermeier Engraved Spa Glass Tankard for Kursaal in Weisbaden

A Small Biedermeier Period Grand Tour Engraved Spa Glass Tankard
Wheel Engraved by Hand With An Image of the "Kursaal in Weisbaden"
German
Circa 1840

Measures:-
9 cm high x 6 cm diameter 

In the 19th Century the spa town of Weisbaden was the capital of the Duchy of Nassau within the Confederation of the Rhine. Weisbaden's thermal and mineral springs had long made it a destination for 'cures' since the Middle Ages. This interesting engraved tankard carries a picture of the "Kursaal in Weisbaden" (also known as the "Kurhaus"), one of the main destinations within the resort, with the title engraved beneath in German Gothic script.

Wiesbaden was a sought-after stopping point on the Grand Tour route. In 1810 the Wiesbaden Spielbank (Casino) opened in part of the Kursaal which added to the resort's popularity. A drawing made in 1839 of the Kursaal from across the lake, very similar to the aspect here, is held in J.M.W. Turner's sketchbooks in Tate. A 19th Century visitor Bartholomew Stritch described the Kursaal thus:-

"A vast and elegantly fitted establishment, containing within its walls a special dining hall, a splendid ballroom, gambling rooms &c., while behind is a wide extent of flower gardens and ornamental pleasure grounds"

This small tankard would have been a pleasing souvenir of a visit to this delightful resort and a memory of having 'taken the waters' there. 'Kursaal' translates as 'Cure-Hall' and 'Kurhaus' as 'Cure-House' - the name deriving from the building being the home to the mineral water 'cures' for which Wiesbaden and other spa towns were famous.