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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: bat20 on March 18, 2015, 06:41:25 PM

Title: Old green flask/decanter
Post by: bat20 on March 18, 2015, 06:41:25 PM
Hi all,I have found something similar to this bottle decanter before and it was dated mid 19 century,it has a polished pontil and a clear glass handle ,but something tells me this could be a tad earlier,it's a much richer bluey green colour and has one of those hollow broken off pontil scars I hope you can see on the photo,about 20cm ht with a beautiful little perfectly fitting stopper and an older looking handle thicker at the top than where it joins the bottle again,quite light so maybe a glass tax going on?It's very tactile and still has something dried in it?Any thoughts or hunches about this one thanks.
Title: Re: Old green flask/decanter
Post by: bat20 on March 18, 2015, 06:42:32 PM
And the stopper as I like it so much...
Title: Re: Old green flask/decanter
Post by: Ivo on March 18, 2015, 09:49:09 PM
Very English piece, circa 1840 s. Not rare but often the stopper is missing.
Title: Re: Old green flask/decanter
Post by: bat20 on March 18, 2015, 10:20:27 PM
Thanks very much Ivo so the same date as my last one,I'm wondering if the first one is posher with a polished pontil and twisted clear glass handle?i like them both,but this one is more self contained ,possibly because of the lovely little stopper ,and it's one you just want to handle.If anyone comes back is this oval shaped flask,bottle,decanter indicative to the mid 19 century?
Title: Re: Old green flask/decanter
Post by: Paul S. on March 19, 2015, 09:41:37 AM
It doesn't appear that this shape is confined solely to the mid C19 - according to Andy McConnell's book he gives a date range of 1800 to 1870 for these things................   and some additional information from his indispensable book .........

Called flasks or flagons (from the French flacon), typically they have oval-sectioned bodies, short necks, and neck mounted finger-rings (although not all have this last feature).             Made in a variety of colours plus clear and apart from undecorated examples like this one, they are seen in uranium, some with gilt decoration and some with engraving.
Apparently, based on an earlier C18 shape called Bocksbeutel  -  literally a goatbag  -  hence I suppose the squashed shape.
Said book shows an example very similar to this one - even down to being the same height and colour, for which the date is given as c. 1840, and showing the nipple-domed stopper  -  so spot on for Ivo. :)
Title: Re: Old green flask/decanter
Post by: bat20 on March 19, 2015, 01:17:40 PM
Yes..but does Andy McConnel really have a clue,just joking Paul,thanks that's a great informative post and much appreciated,and yup another must buy book ::)
Title: Re: Old green flask/decanter
Post by: Paul S. on March 19, 2015, 06:54:54 PM
not cheap unfortunately  -  almost certainly going to cost you over £100, unless you're very lucky  -  but worth every penny. :)
Title: Re: Old green flask/decanter
Post by: bat20 on March 19, 2015, 07:27:37 PM
It's another to put on the wish list Paul,for now though if I came home with a £100 book on decanters I would be reading it upside down hanging from the washing line by my @@'s :o,so I'm just going to hassle you and Ivo for a tad longer.
Title: Re: Old green flask/decanter
Post by: Paul S. on March 19, 2015, 07:40:13 PM
believe Kevin also has a copy ;)
Title: Re: Old green flask/decanter
Post by: neil53 on March 23, 2015, 07:13:12 PM
Hi, I met up with Andy at the last Glass Fair and he has stopped work on his book on the Scandi artists because the Lindstrand estate wants to charge him for any pictures of glass made by Vicke Lindstrand!!  The point being that he is now working hard on the second edition of the book on decanters which should appear later this year.  Hopefully at a price well below the second hand market for the first edition where some good condition copies are now going for over £200!

Title: Re: Old green flask/decanter
Post by: Paul S. on March 23, 2015, 08:48:39 PM
thanks for that Neil :)             from what I understood some year or so back, the purpose of another stab at this volume was to give greater coverage to C20 material.
For those of us who have the first edition, I think it would have suited better that this further material was the subject of a supplementary volume, rather than repeat buying of 80 - 90% of what we have already, although it is a stunning and wonderful book.         As published originally it weighs a ton  -  let alone increasing the number of pages !!

There seems to have been a habit of recent times of producing very heavy single volume books - for obvious reasons of economy I guess, but it does make for a lack of comfort when  handling, especially in the bath.
See the attached pic of my own effort of re-binding C.H's. book on C20 glass into two volumes - although they are still heavier than I prefer.

The new price of similar volumes is always going to be expensive, as books go.              The problem comes when there is heavy demand on what might have been a smallish print run, and we then have to buy secondhand, at much higher than the new price.............   get in quick............  is he taking orders yet ;D


 
Title: Re: Old green flask/decanter
Post by: neil53 on March 23, 2015, 09:10:32 PM
Hi Paul, he did say that 90% of the pictures would be different from the first edition, so I've put my verbal order in.  He's taken pictures of a number of my own decanters for inclusion in Volume 2, so I'm expecting a discount! :-)
 
Title: Re: Old green flask/decanter
Post by: Paul S. on March 23, 2015, 10:27:20 PM
think I'll buy a wheelbarrow in readiness  -  sounds as though it's going to be heavy.

do keep us informed of progress Neil - would hate to miss out and have to buy secondhand again. :)