Topic: wine glass cooler/rinsers

[Ivo]

quote from Ivo ............... "the house does not have separate glasses for red and white wine, so between courses they need rinsed."             Seems a paradox that if you live in a 'castle' your etiquette and finances haven't quite stretched to buying the correct glasses.
Presumably this comment implies they used a green glass for white (Rhenish) wine, and a clear (white) glass for red wine  -  the green glass often being a uranium green.

The Stuarts were repressed and seriously deprived of income for centuries - and were impoverished. Electricity and running water were not installed until way into the 20th century.  That is one reason the castle remains in such an amazing original state.  There were no fancy glasses - just the one and the rincer.

[vanmann]

l thought people may like to see full set

[Paul S.]

Very attractive John  -  all you have to do now is think of a use for them, but guess the canny French might have been nearer the mark than we thought  -  good for cereal bowls - grapefruit bowls - dinkie hanging baskets for plants - containers for night lights  - spitoons - water bowl for the dog etc. etc.

the Stuarts apparently gave England it's original monarchy and only finally lost the line early in the C18 when England turned to the House of Hanover for George I, who was unable to speak a word of English, and seems to have spent more time in Germany than the U.K.
I thought Ivo was going to say it was the English that deprived the Scots of their money - of course it may have been - I've no idea.    On the other hand perhaps the lack of power and glasses was the result of the laird's over zealous parsimony

[Ivo]

http://www.traquair.co.uk/brief-history-traquair-and-family

[Alsretro]

The Georgian House (a National Trust property) in Edinburgh has its dining room set with a clear glass rinser at each place setting but the NT sometimes are a wee bit fanciful in recreating scenes. Almany.com has a clear stock image showing them.

[Paul S.]

I envy you the visit Ivo - history is so interesting.                     Just to add a little more detail to the history of coolers/rinsers, which apparently are more likely to be described as rinsers in the States.

From their beginnings in the U.K. (middle of the C18?), and through most of the period of George III and IV - c. 1780  to 1830 ish - rinsers tend to have straight sides and are deeper than the bowl shaped shallower pieces that succeeded them, and very early examples appear to have had a single 'ear/lip only.............    in the C18 it's suggested that there was just one glass used for drinking, and this may not always have been for reasons of economy.
The earlier straight sided examples  ....  the overall shape was tapered inward slightly toward the base  ....  appears to have been a shape that derived from having started life in a mould, which would of necessity been slightly wider at the top, to avoid any problems in removing the glass once shaped.
Green was a colour that occurs very commonly for vast amounts of glass shapes in the C18, C19 and C20 - rinsers and finger bowls being no exception, but such items are seen only rarely in uranium glass, and in view of the date of invention by Reidel, won't be found in table glass prior to c. 1840.

Ref. 'Glass Antiques Checklist'  -  Mark West  -  1994

       'English, Scottish & Irish Table Glass ' -  G. Bernard Hughes  -  1956.           

       'Coloured Glass'  -  Derek C. Davis & Keith Middlemas  -  1968.                           plus 'the internet' - current.