The RSM Agricola Stein

Monochrome ‘Agricola’ Stein

This porcelain stein comes from Hungary as is clear from the makers mark on the underside where it is marked “ALFÖLDI PORCELAN HUNGARY”.

The inscription “Jo szerencset!”, meaning “good luck!” is the traditional greeting of Hungarian miners. Just below it is a pick and hammer motif combined with the “oil lamp of knowledge and learning”. The lamp isn't just to illuminate the mine, it confirms that we are dealing with a tankard from a Hungarian mining school.

Around the top of the stein are the names of three cities “Selmec”, “Sopron” and “Mislolc”, which tells us we are dealing with the oldest mining school of them all, Nehezipari Muszaki Egyetem (NME) which translates as “Technical University for Heavy Industries”, founded in 1735.

The most prominent adornment of this tankard is, of course the black and white frieze. It is a 14th Century woodcut and the style is familiar to miners the world over as a woodcut from the book “De Re Metallica” (On the Nature of Metals, or Minerals) by Gregorius Agricola.

He was born Georg Bauer, but is better known under the Latin version of his name. Both the surnames “Bauer” ,and “Agricola” mean “farmer”, in German and Latin respectively, and he was born in 1494 and died in 1555.

The tankard illustrates Agricola’s description of the ‘old’ method of ventilating a tunnel by the “constant shaking of linen cloths”. It helpfully shows a right-handed miner correctly using a pick and hammer whereby the pick is held in his left hand and the mallet/sledge hammer delivering the powerful blows and is held in the right hand.

Whilst you are here at the bar, you may wish to fill your glass. When you are ready, let's get back to the chimney breast and the College shields.......