Topic: Small crystal font-like bowl - what's its purpose?

[chilternhills]

I picked this up the other day out of curiosity. I don't know what its purpose is. It's clear glass, very heavy for its size (707 g), 8.3 cm high, 8.7 cm across the top, 6.8 cm across the base, the bowl is about 3.5 cm deep, and the glass is a whopping 2.3 cm thick in the bowl. There are hand-cut crosses, with three vertical lines and three horizontal lines, on the side of the seven sections. There is other hand-cut faceting around the sides and the underside of the  base as well. There is very little wear on the base.

The symbolism seems religious. The crosses, the three horizontal and vertical lines perhaps referring to the trinity, the seven sections for seven days in the week, and the shape looks like a miniature font. I may be completely wrong though   

Any further ideas? Thanks in advance.

Anton

[thewingedsphinx]

Possibly Georgian style salt or maybe a small Sweetmeat, does it have a polished Pontil as a picture of the foot would be helpful. Is the cutting deep or shallow? You could google Georgian cut glass bonnet glass as well, Thanks Mike

[Ekimp]

It reminded me of my Regency example: https://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,70375.msg391871.html#msg391871

[chopin-liszt]

I suspected a salt too. 
ekimp, the link to the Regency bit in that thread doesn't work and the one pasted here takes us straight to the post with the link, not to your images at the top of the page. 

This one is a bit better. It links to the first post.
https://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,70375.msg391871.html#msg391871

I've just noticed the number of the post is included in a link made from that post.

[Ekimp]

Thanks Sue My original link was to the post that came up in my search when trying to find the topic again, and I just copied from the box at the top of the page and pasted.

[chilternhills]

Thanks for the suggestions. A salt may be what it is. One can just about get two fingers into the bowl.

As for the cutting, yes it is very deep: about 5 mm around the sides.

A picture of the base is attached, as requested. There is a 7-pointed star. It seems to be moulded rather than cut. The definition isn't quite as sharp as on the sides. Nevertheless it's pretty good.

[NevB]

I'd say a salt, it probably would have been used with a small silver or EPNS spoon.

[chopin-liszt]

ekimp - I learned something there myself. 

[thewingedsphinx]

These pictures show a Georgian 1790 cut glass salt possibly a bonnet glass or even a small Sweetmeat it’s difficult to be exact. It’s egg cup size chunky and heavy, I think yours is possibly an early 20th century version as it looks very clear?? Cheers Mike

I found the Phelps Warren Irish glass book to be very helpful for this kind of thing.