Special forms
Apart from kitchenware, the Raeren potters produced all kinds of things out of stoneware. There are for example children toys for doll's houses, marbles, flutes in the form of jesters' heads or figures, dice cups, ink pots and water pipes. Numerous spindle whorls and spin pots were produced.
There are also special forms of kitchenware: butter plates, vessels for handwashing (aquamaniles), triple vessels and so-called vexing jugs which could only be drunk from with the help of a trick. These vexing jugs were very popular during the Renaissance as well as erotic motives.
On pilgrimage
Since the Middle Ages, the "Aachenfahrt" ("Aachen pilgrimage") has been taking place every seven years. Just like in former days, thousands of believers are travelling to the old imperial city in order to see the sanctuaries: baby Jesus' nappies, the robe virgin Mary supposedly wore in the Holy Night and the decapitation cloth of St John. On their way to Aachen the pilgrims also passed Langerwehe and Raeren where potters took the chance to make some money by selling them pilgrim bottles and pilgrim horns. The pilgrims blew these horns at the moment the sanctuaries were shown on the dome of the Aachen Cathedral.
In the alchemist’s kitchen
The salt glaze on stoneware is completely resistant to most bases and acids. Further it is neutral in taste and smell and can easily be cleaned with water. Therefore Raeren stoneware was an ideal tool used by pharmacies and alchemists.
Numerous little pots for ointments were manufactured as well as big vessels for pharmacies used to store medication, elixirs or various ingredients. An absolute unique piece of stoneware is a distilling apparatus with two bottles for the distillate -and a so-called "Mohrenkopf".