Topic: decanter funnel - how old?

[Ivo]

This is a decanter funnel. The spout is shaped so the wine or port is guided along the decanter wall in a gentle manner - and not splash straight down into the liquid.

The item is superlight and definitely unround.

Does anyone know approximately since when these were in use? 

[chopin-liszt]

I do frequently do see "ordinary" glass lab funnels around - and am shocked at the prices of the nice little things I used to use on a daily basis! However, I have never used or seen anything like this in a lab.

Could it be for brewing?
- or even yet another thingy for ladies' or gents' "relief" whilst travelling or during long sermons? 

[oldglassman]

Hi Ivo,
                I would imagine glass ones like this which have there silver cousins started to be used in the early 18th Century when decanters were coming more to the fore , possibly even late 17th century not really quite sure ,of course yours could be any date from the photo, you will be better placed to determine the date of the metal.

cheers ,
               Peter.

[Ivo]

Peter - thank you for that observation. The colour is slightly yellow tinged, so in any case it is pre-1920s. I guess that means the cut-off dates are 1800 and 1920 with probability being right in the middle. I have not found anything like it in the catalogues of Danish glass, Altare or Meisenthal - these are usually good for similars. So 1860 +/- 50 it is. I will be on the lookout for more information, of course.

Sue - thank you.  It really IS a decanter funnel - I tried it out and it wurrrks!

[chopin-liszt]

 
I only made the comment about lab glass because the sorts of things that are currently considered to be "collectables" were still in regular daily use during my lab career. (which started in '76)
Many of them were quite beautiful - having a wrythen outside structure to allow air to escape as the liquid enters the vessel.
I also used a fair bit of Monax ware!

If good and functional pieces were not broken, they carried on being used. Often, even if they were broken, it was a fun trip to the scientific glassblower to get them mended.

I was implying that I reckon this is probably well before my time!

[Paul S.]

Hello Ivo....         regret I don't understand the comment that......."The colour is slightly yellow tinged, so in any case it is pre-1920s"   
I'd have thought that your comment about weight coupled with this colour was suggesting only that your funnel lacked any lead content  -  could be wrong, but I've always understood that a 'yellowish tinge' to mean less or no lead, and a darker or blueish colour to mean some or more lead.         Date wise it could be anywhere from the C19/early C20.

I get the impression that silver examples seem frequently to include a strainer (like an old fashioned tea strainer which caught the grouts) - although obviously not really possibly with glass ones.       Potential for a lot of 'lees' (sediment) to come out of C18 wine if you accidentally shook the bottle up, and it was common for the butler to line the funnels (assuming no inbuilt strainer) with linen or fabric of some kind.
It's also possible (but I've no evidence) that the 'squinted' funnel was a natural progression from the straight sort - perhaps after they'd all got fed up with a mouth full of sediment.
The distal end is often finished obliquely, as opposed to what appears on yours to be cut off at 90 degrees.
Peter may well be correct with his suggestion of late C17 - although most seem to have been in use in the C18/C19, and as Peter implies, not easy to date.
As a generalization...........dip moulded examples might be earlier than cut pieces i.e. first half C18, and thicker cut ones are probably post late C18.
The suggestion that yours is C19 is probably a safe bet, and without any specific data like cutting or design you may never know its origin or date.

Apparently, in 1795 the Earl of Breadalbane bought a glass funnel for Sterling 12 shillings and six pence (£0.62.5p), so hope you weren't robbed when buying yours

Sorry that, as usual, this is rambling and includes nothing really new, but I just love history.

Ref.   'The Decanter - An Illustrated History of Glass from 1650'.  -  Andy McConnell  -  2004.

[Ivo]

NICE new aspects, thank you. You managed to explain the funny flange which has to be for securing a piece of muslin cloth!.  I have several jars with a similar flange, one of which (for anchovies) I managed to trace to Holmegaard in 1850.

As for the yellowish tinge, whenever I see a field of drinking glasses I invariably pick out the pre-1920s by the yellowish colour. Everything later has a greenish or a cold bluish sting. It may be a specific Leerdam thing though.

I don't think I was robbed - I paid 20 Eurocents for this one.

 

[David E]

Sterling 12 shillings and six pence (£0.62½p)

Which calculates to £52.81 in today's money using the basic Retail Price Index, so I reckon it was a bargain.

On the subject of yellowish tinge I have noticed it in 1930s borosilicate glass - but that could be another reason, I suppose.