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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: JOK on May 28, 2012, 01:24:34 PM

Title: unusual large globe and shaft carafe
Post by: JOK on May 28, 2012, 01:24:34 PM

I found this carafe the other day thinking it was a modern looking lampbase. I soon realised it was a rather large carafe in thick glass with facet cutting all over. Because the shape is globe and shaft I assumed it would date from around the 1850s, but I am now wondering if that is an accurate date. There are a number of features which make me think it might be older. The general size is unlike anything I have seen from the Victorian period, 23cm tall, 5cm diameter at the neck and 15cm diameter for the body. I don't think it is a magnum decanter as there wouldn't be a lot of room to breathe. The scale and shape is more like a mid-18th century globe and shaft serving bottle.
The facet cutting combined with the flute cut top section of the neck also seems earlier (similar to mid-18th century cruet bottles). It seems to lack the refinement of a Victorian facet cut decanter - in terms of thickness of glass and fineness of cutting.
The feature which suggests a Victorian date is the flat cut bottom with a small star cut where the pontil would be - I don't know when they started to cut decanter bases - although I have now found a source from the V&A which shows a 1744 decanter with cut base and an extract from the original purchase order referring to "decanters with 'cutt bottoms'" - http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O249965/decanter-and-stopper/?print=1#
I'm not necessarily suggesting that this is a mid 18th century globe and shaft carafe, but I am interested by the conflicting signs.
I have attached photos, but unfortunately the carafe is in use at the moment so I will post more when it is empty. I have also attached a photo showing it compared to a more normal sized wine decanter (althoug I don't really have any ordinary decanters).

Of course it could just be a mid 19th century carafe. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg311/jok23/101_0262.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg311/jok23/101_0260.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg311/jok23/101_0263.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg311/jok23/101_0268.jpg

Title: Re: unusual large globe and shaft carafe
Post by: flying free on May 28, 2012, 10:07:10 PM

Hi please could you upload your photos directly to the board?  many thanks.
m

Title: Re: unusual large globe and shaft carafe
Post by: ahremck on May 29, 2012, 01:11:30 AM

What a lovely find!  I too love decanters and carafes.  Like your decanter too - Webb& Cobbett(?).

Ross

Title: Re: unusual large globe and shaft carafe
Post by: JOK on May 29, 2012, 06:24:20 PM

Here are some more photos of the empty carafe - although the other photos are probably better. The files are too big to attach directly so I have only been able to attach rather small photos and link the better quality ones.
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg311/jok23/101_0272.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg311/jok23/101_0273.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg311/jok23/101_0275.jpg

PS the decanter is Stuart.

Title: Re: unusual large globe and shaft carafe
Post by: Anne on May 29, 2012, 10:23:12 PM

You don't have to make thumbnails, the board does that for you. :) If you resize your image to about 700pixels along the longest side and then use a save for web function (most image programs have something that will do this), the results should be large enough to see and small enough to fit the board's size limits.