Römer Glass: A Distinctive Drinking Vessel
The römer is a large drinking glass adorned with decorative knobs that enhance grip. This type of glass was primarily popular from the 15th to the 17th centuries in the Rhineland and the Netherlands. Unlike the berkemeyer, römer glasses do not feature a trumpet-shaped bowl, and their upper rims are thinner. The hollow foot is created by twisting molten glass threads around a conical core. Despite their differences, both römer and berkemeyer glasses evolved from German cylindrical cups, which were decorated with knobs and resembled root vegetables.
Typically, römer glasses are green in colour and, similar to berkemeyer glasses, often feature engraved images and inscriptions. As early as the 3rd century AD, skilled glassmakers along the Rhine River were producing works of considerable artistic value. Excavations in Worms, Trier, Cologne, and the Eifel region have uncovered glass workshops believed to date back to the Roman era; the term “römer” itself translates to “Roman” in German. From ancient Rhineland graves, gilded bowls and cups made using the fondo d’oro technique have been found, wherein a gold layer is etched with images between layers of glass. Such techniques persisted until the 5th century, with mythical and biblical motifs being the most common. This period saw the development of the knob, which later became a hallmark of German glassware—an element of style that remains in use fifteen centuries later.
The römer’s predecessor, the berkemeyer, is a drinking glass with a wide trumpet-shaped bowl that originated in 15th-century Germany and the Netherlands. Glasses of this shape are still produced today, typically in green or yellow hues due to the iron content in the glass sand. Like the römer, the berkemeyer features a thick, hollow foot covered with knobs, making it easier to grip during festive meals. Initially, berkemeyer glasses were crafted from birch branches (berkemei) and were often fitted with lids. [3] The knobs on the feet resemble the rough bark of wooden cups, which inspired the name.
Artists in the Netherlands during the 17th and 18th centuries frequently depicted berkemeyer glasses in their still-life paintings. English römer glasses were originally produced during the Georgian period, beginning around 1780.
Römer-style glasses have also been crafted at Tarbeklaas, with notable examples being the glasses designed by Pilvi Ojamaa.
