alcohol (right)

shelf 4

Made from malted or germinated grains—especially barley—and flavored with the flowers of hop plants, beer is consumed around the world, with specific ingredients varying by geography. South African beer traditionally is made with maize and sorghum and fermented in large earthenware vessels, where the sugars convert to alcohol. In the US in the 1800s, stoneware bottles—often stamped with the name of the maker or bottler—were commonly used to store and transport beer.

 

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A bulbous vessel with a rounded, flared neck. Two large, abstract leaf-shaped designs are scratched into the shiny surface.

Zulu (South Africa)

Beer Fermentation Vessel, 1900s

Earthenware

Museum purchase: anonymous gift 1999.52

A round, sand colored jug with a small, rounded handle. Blue colored text is stamped into the body of the jug, on the left side. Legible text reads, “PROV RI.”

American

Kenyon Smith & Co. Jug, ca. 1890

Stoneware with salt glaze and cobalt

Gift of the RISD Nature Lab 1998.12

A wood and pewter mug that has a hinged lid and handle. The pewter is cut out and shows the wood on the interior.

German

Mug, 1600s

Wood and pewter

Gift of Mr. Eugene L. Garbaty 49.412

A cream ceramic bottle with a thick rounded lip tapering out to a cylindrical body. There is a dark rust colored spot and a blue line.

American

Hiram Wheaton & Sons Beer Bottle, 1875

Stoneware with salt glaze and cobalt

Museum Works of Art Fund 44.378.2