Under the Canopy of the Heavens: Creussen Planetenkrug dated 1640

24 Februar 2026

European Ceramics

Steinzeug

Works of art

creussen-stoneware-tankard-planets-dated-1640-detail

Rare Creussen Stoneware Tankard dated 1640 with polychrome enamel Planets Applications

The body is encircled by two decorative friezes of foliated scrollwork and interlaced relief applications painted in polychrome enamels displaying the seven planets in the form of their presiding Roman deity figures.

Creussen Planetenkrug dated 1640, polychrome Planets Applications MARS IVPITER SOL VENVS MERCVRIVS LVNA , H. 18

The Iconography of the Seven Planets

SATVRN — an old man with a scythe, representing the slow-moving planet of time, melancholy and agriculture
IVPITER — a noble figure in armour with a lightning bolt or staff, the great benefic planet of kingship and prosperity
MARS — a warrior in red, holding a sword, embodying the martial planet of war and courage
SOL — the Sun, depicted as a crowned or radiate figure with an orb, sovereign of all planets
VENVS — a feminine figure in a long gown, associated with love and beauty
MERCVRIVS — a fleet figure with winged helmet and caduceus, the planet of commerce, eloquence and travel
LVNA — the Moon, shown as a woman in flowing robes, holding a crescent

Creussen Planetenkrug dated 1640 Details polychrome Planets Applications MARS IVPITER SOL VENVS

Creußen: A Potter’s Town in Upper Franconia

The town of Creußen (also spelled Creussen or Kreussen) lies in Upper Franconia, today in Bavaria, some fifteen kilometres south of Bayreuth and within easy reach of Nuremberg — for centuries the commercial and artistic heart of southern Germany.

During the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries the Creußen manufactory produced rich brown stoneware with applied reliefs. The earliest Creussen objects decorated with polychrome enamel painting started around the end of the first quater of the 17th century. (See reference object V+ A London)

The golden age of Creußen polychrome stoneware is generally placed in the period from approximately 1625 to 1700. Planet jugs — the Planetenkrüge — were made throughout this period. Later in time as the production matured through the planet jugs, as well as other topics of iconography, tended to become more elaborate in respect of the refinement of the modelling, the richness of the colour palette and the complexity of the ornamental friezes.

Reference Objects Collection Peter Vogt

Creussen Stoneware Planets Bottle dated 1640

Reference Object Victoria and Albert Museum London

online access: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O161054/tankard-unknown

Tankard depicting seven figures of the heathen deities, made in Kreussen, Germany, dated 1627, stoneware with relief decoration painted in enamels, pewter mount
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Inspiration Etching of Venus dated 1529

This print is from a series by Georg Pencz, an engraver active in Nuremberg in the 16th century. The engravings in the set show figures representing the various planets, accompanied by symbols and signs of the Zodiac. The characters are shown in earthly surroundings, with woods and landscapes behind them.

This print shows a female figure as Venus, who carries a burning heart in her hand. Venus is associated with two astrological signs, Libra, which is represented by scales on the ground and Taurus, represented by a bull.

Vennus
Engraving
1529 (printed), 1523-30 (Printed)
Artist/Maker
Pencz, Georg (printmaker)
Monogrammist I. B. (Printmaker)

online access: © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O114205/vennus-engraving-pencz-georg

The postures, attributes and even the costumes of the relief figures on the tankards correspond closely to the iconographic language of early sixteenth-century printmaking, filtered through the conventions of the applied relief-mould workshop.