Ølhøne (bird-shaped drinking vessel)
An ølhøne is a smaller, often bird-shaped drinking vessel that could float in a larger beer bowl. It was used for drinking or for ladling beer into a smaller vessel. Names such as ølfugl and ølgås also occur in descriptions of these drinking vessels.
Form and function
Setesdal Museum describes varied shapes, often with a head and tail and sometimes brightly painted. The essential point is that it is a vessel capable of holding liquid, not merely a bird figure. Record both its profile and its hollowed interior when identifying an object.
What can be compared?
Examine size, proportions, the carving of head and tail and the treatment of inner and outer surfaces. Document the underside, inscriptions and repairs. A similar bird profile alone does not establish a maker, district or age.
Assessing older examples
Look for body splits, losses to the beak or tail and later painting. Do not confuse the history of an object type with the age of the actual example. A piece may be recent even though its form draws on an old tradition. Examine documented ownership history and describe uncertain attribution as uncertain rather than turning it into fact.
