Glass Message Board

Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: cubby01 on August 08, 2010, 03:22:37 PM

Title: Amber 'blenko like' water bottle / decanter / jug
Post by: cubby01 on August 08, 2010, 03:22:37 PM: My wife picked this up at auction. Thinking it might be Blenko, or Bischoff, or one of the US West Virgina area companies. Well, I'm pretty sure it's not Blenko and I haven't been able to find it using my regular internet search methods.

Anyone seen it before? It's 9.75" (24.5cm) tall. I'll gladly even take guesses and go from there.

-Buck
(the first picture is deceiving because of the close up angle, the bottom is just as wide as the top.)
Title: Re: Amber 'blenko like' water bottle / decanter / jug
Post by: cubby01 on September 08, 2010, 05:48:31 PM: Bump. :wsh:
Title: Re: Amber 'blenko like' water bottle / decanter / jug
Post by: kane_u_pain on September 08, 2010, 08:12:55 PM: Hi cubby...it looks like honey amber but it is not. I went through the colour charts. I have also attahced a link to a collection of pitchers...

http://www.blenkocollectors.com/collectionspages/blenkocollcollectionsfloridawaterbottles.htm

So not Blenko...I am not familar with the other U.S companies...
Title: Re: Amber 'blenko like' water bottle / decanter / jug
Post by: cubby01 on September 09, 2010, 02:38:42 AM: Thanks Kane, I'd gone through a bunch of Blenko materials and convinced myself it wasn't Blenko. Thanks for the link though :thup:, I hadn't seen that wall of water bottles.
Title: Re: Amber 'blenko like' water bottle / decanter / jug
Post by: antiquerose123 on September 09, 2010, 05:44:22 AM: ?? Just a guess, but could it be a Medicine Bottle - that Might have had a Glass Stopper in it?

You know like those older Chemist (drug store) bottles for a liquid: (eg) http://www.aantv.com/?page=leftbid&tvshow_id=847353

Just guessing here - and Talking out loud... :spls:
Title: Re: Amber 'blenko like' water bottle / decanter / jug
Post by: TxSilver on September 09, 2010, 05:17:42 PM: There's a good American bottle reference at http://www.sha.org/bottle/. I have the same feeling as antiquerose that it is a bottle that was used for something. You might find a hint at the bottle site.
Title: Re: Amber 'blenko like' water bottle / decanter / jug
Post by: cubby01 on September 09, 2010, 10:59:41 PM: Thanks Both, I'll try the medicine (or whatever) bottle route for a while. I'm seriously beginning to wonder if it's not a Chinese import decorative item.
Title: Re: Amber 'blenko like' water bottle / decanter / jug
Post by: antiquerose123 on September 10, 2010, 05:11:02 AM: Hi

I had read somewhere that a flared rim (on a bottle) would allow parchment to be tied over the top to seal in contents, and it was also for pouring. Can't find it now, but IF it held a liquid - having the liquid not evaporate would make sense

Is this something like the bottom of yours ??? http://www.historicbottles.com/umbrellaamberbase.jpg A Blow-pipe Pontil scar??
That pic is from this site http://www.historicbottles.com/miscellaneous.htm of the bottom of the *Root Beer Amber Early Umbrella Ink*

All strictly guesses here... :X: as you can tell better having the item right in your hand -- but I thought the bottom, and finish (not the shape) kinda look close to the other. Just throwing out suggestions here..
Title: Re: Amber 'blenko like' water bottle / decanter / jug
Post by: Max on September 10, 2010, 06:47:21 AM: Does it have any wear on the base at all? It doesn't look like it from your photo.. ?
Title: Re: Amber 'blenko like' water bottle / decanter / jug
Post by: cubby01 on September 10, 2010, 01:45:02 PM: Rose, it looks like a variation of a pipe scar - what is referred to as a "glass tipped pontil" scar here> http://www.sha.org/bottle/pontil_scars.htm (http://www.sha.org/bottle/pontil_scars.htm)
The scar looks authentic but to my eye it looks a bit small for such a heavy piece of glass (3.5 lbs).

Max, regarding wear. There are high points on the base that show some wear but in general not the kind of wear I'd expect on a 50 or even 30 year old vase or pitcher.

Thanks for the replies. The more I look at it the more I think it's a recent bottle maybe a reproduction, but of what and why? That confuses me too.
Title: Re: Amber 'blenko like' water bottle / decanter / jug
Post by: TxSilver on September 10, 2010, 05:59:54 PM: My imagination is working. The shape of the bottle reminds me of medicine or bitters bottles. But your bottle is pretty large and has what looks like pour spouts to me. It made me think about prohibition in the USA. The story is on the sha site. Bitters has a high content of alcohol, so was bought by people during prohibition to drink. This bottle would have been perfect for them. Ths shape looks like medicine and the size is not big enough to totally negate deniability. "Of course, it's medicine, Mr. Revenuer." :srn:

I like this story better than the recent reproduction one. Pontil scars usually indicate an older bottle. Most bottles are machine made these days. So I would assume yours is a bit older until proved otherwise.
Title: Re: Amber 'blenko like' water bottle / decanter / jug
Post by: Cathy B on September 12, 2010, 01:07:18 AM: I'm not certain that is a pontil scar. There's something too round and even about it?
Title: Re: Amber 'blenko like' water bottle / decanter / jug
Post by: cubby01 on September 12, 2010, 03:23:51 AM: Hi thanks Cathy,
Well, I thought I knew a pontil scar when I saw one but maybe not. Here's a close up pic. It's certainly not from the mold. And I think whatever was there was broken away after the bottle was fire polished assuming that's how it got it's finish.
Title: Re: Amber 'blenko like' water bottle / decanter / jug
Post by: Cathy B on September 12, 2010, 10:59:43 AM: Okay, yes that does seem to ber a pontil scar. I had managed to skip your earlier description of the scar and was just going by the first photo.