Topic: Help ID a huge American Whiskey Decanter Cut Glass Crystal

[Scolada]

Hello again all. Thank you for your previous help. I am now searching for whatever information I can find on a huge Whiskey Decanter. I also believe to be American. There are no markings on it except for the word "Whisky". It has a cut criss-cross pattern on the front then a star design on the side and on the back, there are cut coin dots or thumbprint as well as being present on the applied base. The glass seems quite old and there are imperfections in it such as air bubbles and some ash. This thing is huge measuring approximately 2 feet tall and weighs close to 20lbs. The top of the decanter is slightly out of round and finally the very top of the lid glows a slight yellow under a black light. I've seen similar but not the same and the similar ones people are calling 1860 - 1880's.

Thanks again in advance.

[Ivo]

I saw one very similar in the window of a pharmacy in rural Scotland. Lookdd lkke a  factotum to me. If it says whisky it has to be Scottish, right?

[Paul S.]

not technically correct I think ............    whiskey/whisky can be made anywhere and called as such - the problem comes when incorporating the word Scotch............  and to be called that it needs to have been made in Scotland.            Of course, whiskey from Scotland is the best anyway

Is it soda glass that gives the slight yellow look - the absence of lead in the mix?? was there much soda glass made in the States around C 1900?

Not a decanter from which you could pour liquid, and Ivo probably correct that more likely something from the pharmacy trade - not a lot unlike those old similar shaped glass vessels that chemists shops had in their windows, and which were filled with bright coloured liquids - perhaps a kind of trade sign to indicate the nature of their business, like the balls hanging outside pawnbrokers.
Unless it's something from the distillery trade - similar purpose to a serving rummer for example??

[oldglassman]

Hi
   "Of course, whiskey from Scotland is the best anyway "

Sorry , there is no whiskey made in Scotland, the Scots make whisky,the Irish added the E in the 19th c.

cheers   hic hic ,

Peter.

ooops forgot to say that,yes as said above the object shown was probably used as a shop window display with whisky coloured liquid,the real thing being available inside the shop.

[Lustrousstone]

I agree it's a shop or bar thing but I think spirits were dispensed from such things if you required less than a bottle

[oldglassman]

Hi ,
          I hadn't noticed the tap (duh!!),so yes ,they were used when tapped to dispense the "water of life"

cheers ,

Peter

[Paul S.]

I hadn't seen the tap either , and agree a whisky dispenser.........    Brian Brooks very useful booklet on whisky dispensers and measures gives much information on such things, and he confirms Peter's spelling variation depending on whether Scottish or Irish/American spirit, although oddly enough on the front cover he shows a barrel shaped dispenser with gilt engraving 'SCOTCH WHISKEY'.
Apparently such dispensers weren't for whisky only - brandy, rum, sherry and bitters could equally be used (but presumably not if the engraving was for Scotch.

Brooks booklet appears to concentrate on U.K. examples only, so can't comment on States items unfortunately, and shows many barrel shaped dispensers which include taps.
The shape of the example in this post looks to be referred to as an urn - again all with taps - many of them with cut decoration plus advertising in the form of the distillery name on some, and this shape looks to be fairly common.

It's possible that urns held less capacity than barrels  -  somewhere between 2 and 3 gallons was not unusual, and some of the barrels are quoted as containing 4 gallons.
Date wise 1870 - 1930 - and in view of the fact that Brooks confirms that Irish and American spirit is spelled with an 'e', then there is some reason for believing this one is Scottish.

Ref.  'Whisky Dispensers & Measures'  -  Brian Brooks  -  2000.

[Ivo]

From the local chemist in  Moffat...

[Scolada]

Hey all, I was out doing as much research as I could on this and I too was getting 1860-1880's but then I found something that was just too difficult to pass up so I bought it... Take a look at my Whisky Decanters new best friend!

[Ivo]

Ouch that is a collection. Are these not barber bottles?