Topic: A Decanter

[Laird]

Thank you for posting the pics. Looking at them, I have to say SNAP! - for not only is your Waterford (we want to believe) a twin of mine, but I also have a cordial decanter which came from the same mother as yours. The stopper on mine is the same as yours, a ball pineapple(?). I'll post a pic of mine when daylight comes around again tomorrow. Before anyone asks, I use mine for Drambuie.

[Paul S.]

well, in the flesh the jug does have a greyer appearance than the Harbridge bowl - obviously my photography skills diminishing  -  you can see the very wide polished pontil depression which covers most of the base.                    The cutting is perhaps a tad simple, with just the finger bottoms - alternating panels of prisms/steps and large relief diamonds around the middle, then much slice cutting above  -  the handle is a top down job, strap style, ground to give square looking sides, but lacks the pigs tail finial at the lower end  -  masses of wear on the foot rim.                  There's a single oval lens either side of the lower end of the handle - all straightforward cutting with notch style rim.

I'd suggest 1830 -50, but open to other more accurate suggestions.            Height is about 6.75 inches - 170 mm.

The Harbridge bowl is difficult to date accurately  -  they began in 1924, and finally ceased making wares 1955 though apparently carried on for a year or two decorating (cutting only???), then were absorbed by Webb and Corbett.            Cutting on this bowl is fairly standard  -  it could be from the 1950s, but that's unsubstantiated guesswork, but I don't see it as pre 1945.
Information on Harbridge courtesy of Nigel Benson and Jeanette Hayhurst booklet 'Art Deco to Post Modernism'  -  with much thanks.

apologies as we've gone way off topic in the thread, but useful deviation hopefully.

[Laird]

I am fairly confident that this small barrel decanter with its original stopper, is 1800-1830. It's very similar to the one pictured by Ekimp.

[Ekimp]

Nice jug and cordial. As I wouldn’t actually use a jug like this, I tend to think the handle would get in the way - on the shelf or in a box - and be vulnerable, so don’t have any...well, one small one. Plus, I don’t come across them that often and when I do, there always seems to be a crack in the handle (confirming my original reasoning!).

According to the Miller’s Antique Check List (again) the cordials were often made in a set and held in a stand. I wonder if that might be the case with yours, Laird, as the more elaborate cutting is at the top, where it would be on show. The stopper looks a very good match of the body pattern. I would give it shelf room, it’d look nice next to my one. Not sure about Drambuie...isn’t that spoilt whisky? 

[Ekimp]

Engraved on it is 'Corporation', which made me think it perhaps was one of a set purchased by a municipality for use at official events

I was just looking for something else and found the website linked below that says beehive decanters were also called incorporators. The website says ‘They were called incorporators as they were designed to combine two different liquids’. Maybe ‘corporation’ engraved on the decanter in this thread shows it was for containing pre-mixed drinks? Just a thought.

https://www.19cglass.co.uk/product/early-victorian-beehive-decanter/