Q: I was given this jar by a friend who knew I might be interested in it. It's about 10 inches high and 8 inches in diameter. It's decorated with pictures and names of German cities, including Heidelberg, Ehrenbreitstein, Drachenfels, and Stolzenfels. The finial on the lid is a man pushing a bunch of grapes in a wheelbarrow. This circular mark with the words "Original Gerzit" and "Gerz, W. Germany" is on the bottom of the lid and bowl. I love it but I don't know what to use it for. Does it have any value?

A: Gerzit Gerz was a stoneware manufacturer founded by Simon Peter Gerz (1830-1893) in Hohr, Hesse-Nassau, Prussia, in 1857. The company was incorporated in 1897 and went out of business in 1997. Gerzit Gerz made steins, punch bowls, and mugs. Most of its production seems to have been steins. We have seen a jar like yours advertised for sale as a cookie jar and as a punch bowl. While it could be used as either, a couple of clues make it likely that it was meant to serve as a punch bowl. The clues: the grape decoration on the finial and the fact that the four cities listed are in Germany's wine-producing areas. The mark on your bowl and cover was used from 1960 to 1990. Value of your bowl and lid: $80-$100.

One response to “Gerz Bowl”

  1. Tobi97060 says:

    It’s absolutely adorable, and definitely not a punch bowl! Punch bowls don’t have lids and one scoops the liquid contents out with a ladle. Too big to be a sugar bowl. The dog votes for treat holder, but dogs can’t have grapes.

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