Wine jug with scenes of Canaan from the Old Testament. Southern Germany, ca. 1700. Gold-ruby glass, blown, applied, copper-wheel engraved. Chased silver-gilt mounts by Tobias Baur, Augsburg. Toledo Museum of Art collection [3000×4000] [OC]

https://emuseum.toledomuseum.org/objects/58191/jug

[display description, Toledo Museum of Art](https://i.ibb.co/L9TytkK/20230827-163640.jpg)

[South German

Tobias Baur, Augsburg (mounts)

GOLD-RUBY WINE JUG

Gold-ruby glass, blown, applied, copper-wheel engraved; chased silver-gilt mounts, about 1700

Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey, 1913.444

Gold-ruby glass was held in great esteem in the 17th and 18th centuries and considered a special material, distinct from any other type of glass. The rich, deep red color that most closely resembled the fire of rubies was achieved by adding colloidal gold to colorless molten glass. Exceedingly difficult to manufacture, it was limited to a small luxury-goods market and intended more for display than for actual use.

The engraved scene on this wine jug depicts a scene from the Old Testament: Joshua and Caleb, two of Moses’ spies sent to explore the “promised land” of Canaan, return with news of Canaan’s abundance, demonstrated by the extreme size of the grape cluster they carry between them.]