Topic: Miniature cut glass decanter or perfume bottle?

[Anne E.B.]

This is a new addition (left hand side) to my little perfume bottle collection (mostly Mdina) but I'm not sure that it is actually that as I've seen identical full size decanters described as antique, c.1820s.
It does look Georgian in style.  So, a couple of questions that someone might be able to help me with.  Is it a miniature decanter or a scent/perfume bottle?
Secondly, is it Georgian or as I have seen somewhere (I will try to find the source again) a Georgian style reproduction from the 1960s?
TIA

[Anne E.B.]

I forgot to add the size - it stands 6" high.

[Lustrousstone]

I don't know much about these things but I think this may be an individual decanter rather than a cologne/perfume

[bat20]

Hi,looks regancy to me,has it got a lot of wear to the base and is the cutting sharp as that's a good pointer,I wonder if it's a salesman piece or originally was in a set of three,interesting these miniatures,hopefully someone will shed some light on it soon.

[brucebanner]

They look like  Victorian oil/condiment bottles, there very common here, i often see them in charity shops, most are not worn on the bases because there were sometimes held in a turnable carousel.

Some of the recent 1960's Tudor crystal i have picked up has razor sharp cutting.

The Regency looking decanter is signed Tudor on the base.

Here is my almost complete one with a couple of others i picked up recently.

There between 6 to 7 inches in height.

[Paul S.]

would agree that these are both liquid condiment containers, my opinion is that the longish neck and slender body with large flared pouring lip are typical of these things, especially from the second half C19.              Also agree they're most often seen in sets of three or four and usually contained within EPNS frames like those shown  -  don't know about these two, but it's often the case that the depression under the base is unusually wide for the size of the piece, but down market examples mostly have only a fire polished and slightly rough pontil scar still present  -  this can be seen on the right hand example - I think, although they're still level enough on the base to be remain upright.

C18 clear glass examples often have silver collars  -  the cutting lacks sophistication and often shows large relief diamonds and some mitres - occasionally curved.

Sowerby knocked out a lot of these, and probably so did just about every maker of utility table glass - I only mention Sowerby since you can see some of theirs in the Thistlewood CDs.
As for dating, I'd suggest middle to last quarter of the C19 for the right hand example  -  I think the left hand piece, although very attractive and desirable, is not as early as it's trying to make out, although I doubt very much it's as late as the 1960's - were such things still being knocked out in the middle of the C20?         If really early it would be more likely that the neck rings would have been applied separately, and you can tell this by looking to see if they are moulded on or if added after the body has been made.

Utility cut glass pieces, assuming they have been used for some time, will show damage to high spots and internal staining  -  although it may have spent 100 years in Granny's cabinet and never touched, so that's not infallible.         Is the glass very bright and white?      Are there seeds or specks in the glass?       What is the underside of the foot like?
Assuming almost zero wear, will put head on block and plump for somewhere in the first third of the C20, but it's really only a guess.    

[johnphilip]

I have one somewhere the same as the one on the left and the stopper has a long thin spoon fixed to it that i believe is for perfume ,

[Paul S.]

jp - I didn't know perfumes had spoons - only know of some stoppers that have very long thin extensions for reaching and applying the scent.   What does it smell of  -  No. 5.               Perhaps Anne E.B. will comment re the stopper on hers.

[Anne E.B.]

I'm here - just about.  Helping out with new baby granddaughter so spinning plates at the moment

Okay folks, thank you so much for all your help and advice .  It's greatly appreciated and I'm so grateful for all your replies which I value.  I love you all! 

To try to answer some of the questions raised, some obs. as follows...

The glass is very bright and the diamond and linear pattern around the middle is sharp.
There is some white staining at the very bottom but I can't detect any smell.
The pontil mark on the base is smooth with a rim and looks to be fire polished methinks.
There are some tiny white specks in the stopper and a couple of minute black specks in the bottle itself.
The neck rings appear to have been added.  I can run my nail around the top and bottom of each one and there are no visible seams.
The pouring lip is on one side only even though the rim flares out in both directions and has a smooth edge section unlike the rest of the sawtooth rim.  I'm inclined to agree that it for condiments and not a perfume bottle as I first thought.  My other perfume bottles all have long stoppers and no pouring lip.

I'm going to upload some images of the neck rings and the diamond/linear pattern.  Hopefully they will be the right size as I seem to be having trouble downsizing images at the moment and getting them to the right size.  I'm also still getting to grips with my new Mac which is far too clever for me, and keeps changing words as I type

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There we go.  Will get back with the images once I've found them 

[Anne E.B.]

Fingers crossed