Braunschweig Husaren-Regiment Nr. 17 Reservist Stein 5th Squadron 1897-98

This is an Imperial German Reservistenkrug (reservist’s commemorative stein) for a soldier of the Braunschweigisches Husaren-Regiment Nr. 17 (Brunswick Hussar Regiment No. 17), specifically the 5. Eskadron (5th Squadron), commemorating service during 1897–1898. The regiment was one of the most distinctive cavalry formations of the German Empire, preserving the black-uniformed and Totenkopf traditions of the famous Brunswick troops whose origins reached back to the Napoleonic Wars.

The stein is constructed from glazed white porcelain with extensive hand-painted and transfer-decorated polychrome scenes. The cylindrical body is framed by broad yellow-gold bands with narrow red borders at the upper and lower portions, while the molded white porcelain handle remains integral to the body. The decoration is unusually elaborate, combining mounted Hussar scenes, barracks imagery, regimental symbolism, military standards, scrollwork, and a roster of fellow servicemen.

The principal decorative panel is surmounted by a ducal-style crown and incorporates the regiment’s cavalry imagery within a colorful heraldic arrangement. The designation “5 Eskad.” identifies the 5. Eskadron, translated as “5th Squadron.” The service period “1897–98” is clearly incorporated into the commemorative decoration. A lengthy handwritten-style roster of names appears alongside the central scenes, representing comrades who served together during the period. Several individual names remain visible, although portions of the script are too small or indistinct to transcribe confidently and are therefore not expanded beyond what can be securely read.

Additional painted scenes depict Brunswick Hussars mounted on horseback, including troopers in the regiment’s distinctive dark uniform, as well as a mounted soldier near a barracks or garrison building. These scenes reflect the standard themes of Imperial German reservist steins: mounted service, military comradeship, garrison life, departure, and remembrance of one’s active-duty years.

A Fraktur inscription runs around the upper porcelain band. The clearly legible opening reads “Stolz zu Roß…” meaning “Proudly on horseback…,” an appropriate cavalry reference. The remaining words continue around the circumference but cannot presently be transcribed with sufficient confidence to justify a complete reconstruction. The inscription is left partially untranslated rather than supplying uncertain wording.

The stein is fitted with an elaborate hinged metal lid, considerably more ornate than the simpler flat lids found on many infantry examples. The lid incorporates raised military trophy decoration around its conical body, including martial emblems, foliage, and equipment motifs. At the rear, the thumb lift is formed as a spread-winged eagle, while the top is surmounted by a fully modeled mounted Hussar on a rearing horse. The mounted figure provides an especially strong cavalry association and gives the stein considerable vertical presence.

The interior base contains a lithophane, visible when the stein is held toward a light source. The translucent porcelain image depicts a domestic or romantic scene involving a soldier and female figures, a familiar feature of period reservist steins that contrasted the military imagery of the exterior with scenes of home, courtship, and civilian life.

The Braunschweigisches Husaren-Regiment Nr. 17 was garrisoned in Braunschweig and carried forward traditions associated with the Schwarze Schar (Black Corps) raised by Duke Friedrich Wilhelm of Brunswick during the Napoleonic Wars. The Brunswick troops became particularly famous for their black uniforms and martial skull symbolism. The Hussar regiment remained one of the most visually distinctive cavalry units of the Imperial German Army and served within the Prussian military system while retaining the identity of the Duchy of Brunswick.

Reservist steins were privately purchased souvenirs commissioned by soldiers approaching the end of their compulsory active service. They combined a soldier’s regiment, squadron, service dates, fellow soldiers, patriotic imagery, and humorous or sentimental verses into a highly personalized object intended for display after his return to civilian life. Cavalry examples tend to be especially decorative, often incorporating mounted figures and sculptural lids reflecting the prestige and visual character of the mounted arm.

Condition is good overall with honest age and use. The porcelain body remains visually strong with vibrant polychrome decoration, clear regimental imagery, and substantial surviving gilt and colored detail. There is scattered rubbing and age-related surface wear to the painted decoration and gilded bands. The lower red foot rim shows a noticeable chip or area of loss, together with smaller edge wear consistent with age. The white handle remains present. The elaborate metal lid retains its mounted Hussar finial, spread-winged eagle thumb lift, hinge assembly, and extensive relief decoration, with naturally aged gray patina and darker oxidation in recessed areas. The finial remains highly detailed despite age-related wear. The lithophane remains visible in the base.

The combination of identified regiment, 5th Squadron attribution, 1897–1898 service period, elaborate cavalry decoration, figural mounted-Hussar lid, and surviving lithophane makes this substantially more desirable than a generic Imperial German reservist stein. Material specifically associated with Husaren-Regiment Nr. 17 remains particularly sought after because of the regiment’s distinctive Brunswick identity and long Black Brunswick military tradition.