Topic: square based glass jar help please.

[brucebanner]

This is another recent find, i'm wondering what it was used for as the inner rim is ground so i'm assuming the lid is missing, it has the feel of an old salt. The base has chips and lots of wear and the inner surface especially towards the base is very worn with staining the type you find in decanters. There are also several inclusions within in the glass both black and white.

It's 4 inches in height and  inches square across the base.

Thanks Chris.

[Ivo]

nice find! The base puts it in the 1790-1830 period, perhaps irish, french or belgian?

[neil53]

Hi, they are sometimes called bonbonnieres as they were supposedly used for holding dry sweetmeats.  I assume it is a very heavy piece for its size?  I'd agree with Ivo's dating, probably 1810-1830.

[Paul S.]

It's interesting Chris........    always possible this might have been a dry mustard pot - they are known from c. 1800, and I believe such pieces did have ground stopper fitting lids.      Nice wrythen cutting, and the notches along the ribs are a form of decoration not uncommon from latter part of C18 and on into the early C19  -  it's a feature seen sometimes on monteiths/bonnet glasses.

I'm going with Ivo's suggestion of Continental because of the completely flat base.
My opinion is that similar styles of British made pieces would have one of the following......  a star cut of some sort, a shallow large ground depression, a moulded lemon squeezer pattern or simply a plain moulded base cavity.

Pity the lid is missing.

[brucebanner]

Thanks for your replies guys.

[Paul S.]

whilst we're on the subject of pieces with missing lids .......

Here's another couple of jars similar to the op's piece - both missing their lids unfortunately, but possibly of interest so thought I'd add them as examples of what are described usually as lidded sweetmeats/jars.
In view of the damage neither have any commercial value - other than the scrap value of the silver on the larger piece  -  both with a shallow depression under the foot, and dating to c. 1800 ish.
The smaller piece rings well when flicked.
The larger jar (6" - 155 m/m) seems unusual with the silver band (no hallmark) - I've seen many of these but not one with metalwork before, and the beaded rim is attractive.       Might this be Continental does anyone think??

A very discreet decorative feature that I'd not been aware of seeing before is that around the outer edge of the collar/merese - on the smaller jar - there is the faintest of scallops  -  I've also just noticed this on a rummer from c. 1800 - so obviously a little touch of quality that might almost go unnoticed unless you looked very closely.
Had anyone else noticed this feature?