Raeren Armorial Bottle dated 1591

08 März 2025

European Ceramics

Steinzeug

Works of art

16th Century Raeren Armorial Bottle

by Jan Emens with the Bentheim-Teckenburg Coat of Arms

Raeren Stoneware Armorial Jug signed Jan Emens, H. 43 cm

Jan Emens: Master Potter of Raeren

Jan Emens Mennicken (also known as Jan Emens or Jan Mennicken) was one of the preeminent master potters of the Raeren region during the second half of the 16th century the golden age of Raeren stoneware. Born around 1540 in Raeren, which is now part of eastern Belgium near the German border, Emens belonged to the distinguished Mennicken family, who had established themselves as leading stoneware producers in the region. He was recognized as the premier master potter of Raeren and one of the most accomplished ceramic artists in the Rhineland. His reputation extended throughout the Holy Roman Empire and the Low Countries, attracting commissions from noble families and wealthy merchants.

Inscription
„Wilt dll Herren W. T. lieffden //met loefsanck sengen //und makandren ur.ntelick //einen toe brengen //1591“

Jan Emens‘ active period spans from approximately 1560 to 1593, with his most productive and innovative period occurring during the 1570s and 1580s. His workshop reached its zenith of production and artistic excellence between 1575 and 1585. Emens perfected the technique of applying detailed heraldic relief work to stoneware vessels, achieving unprecedented precision in depicting complex coats of arms. He developed more sophisticated multi-part molds that allowed for the creation of complex reliefs with greater detail and deeper undercutting than previously possible.
He was among the first Raeren potters to systematically incorporate Renaissance motifs and compositional principles into the traditionally Gothic decorative vocabulary of Rhenish stoneware.

The Bentheim-Teckenburg Coat of Arms

The coat of arms displayed on the bottle represents the combined heraldic achievement of the Bentheim-Teckenburg family, featuring a complex quartered shield with multiple elements that reflect their lineage and territorial claims.

The arms of Bentheim: featuring three hearts
The arms of Tecklenburg: displaying an anchor and a peacock with spread tail feathers
Arms representing Rheda: showing a crowned upright lion
The Arms of Steinfurt: depicted by a spotted swan

The composition is framed by decorative scrollwork and Renaissance ornamental motifs that were characteristic of late 16th century heraldic representation.

The integration of these elements into a unified heraldic composition demonstrates the skilled craftsmanship of Jan Emens, who translated these intricate heraldic elements into three-dimensional relief work with remarkable precision.

Heraldry Grafen von Bentheim-Tecklenburg

Die Grafen von Bentheim-Tecklenburg (1562–1817)
Das Wappen der früheren Reichsgrafen und heutigen Fürsten zu Bentheim-Tecklenburg seit Arnold IV
Zeichnung von Professor Ad. M. Hildebrandt – Max von Spießen: Wappenbuch des Westfälischen Adels, Görlitz 1901-1903/Band 2/Tafel 028-1

Bentheim a Moor with an oriental hat | Tecklenburg a peacock with spread tail feathers
Steinfurt a spotted swan | Limburg a lion between two peacock tails
Source Wikipedia: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bentheim-Tecklenburg#Wappen

Historical Background of the Bentheim-Teckenburg Family and Political Significance in the Holy Roman Empire

The Bentheim-Teckenburg family emerged from the union of two prominent noble houses of northwestern Germany. The Counts of Bentheim had been established since the 11th century in Lower Saxony, while the Counts of Tecklenburg held territories in Westphalia since the early Middle Ages.

The specific branch represented on this bottle was established in 1562 when Count Arnold II of Bentheim-Bentheim (1554-1606) married Magdalena of Neuenahr-Alpen, Countess of Limburg and heiress to Tecklenburg. This marriage brought together the territories of Bentheim, Tecklenburg, Steinfurt, and Rheda under a single ruler, creating a significant territorial complex in northwestern Germany.

The timing of this bottle (1589-1591) coincides with Count Arnold’s most active period of territorial consolidation and political activity. During this period, he was strengthening his position both domestically and in broader Imperial politics, making the commissioning of such a prestigious object with the family’s full armorial achievement particularly significant.

The Bentheim-Teckenburg family occupied a position of considerable regional importance within the complex political landscape of the Holy Roman Empire during the 16th century. As Imperial Counts (Reichsgrafen), they held their territories directly from the Emperor, giving them a degree of political autonomy and a seat in the Imperial Diet.

Reference Object Museum Heylshof Worms

https://nat.museum-digital.de/object/1209003

Graue Kanne, kobaltblau bemalt, glasiert; runder Körper auf hohem, gekehltem Fuß; hoher Kelchhals mit Ausguss; auf der Stirnseite Wappen Bentheim-Tecklenburg mit Pfau als Helmzier, bezeichnet 1589, I. E.