Topic: A rather unusual hand crafted decanter (for shipping?)

[Tigerchips]

I thought i had seen everything until i saw this. It's a clear glass whisky bottle made by W & A Gilbey Ltd. Curiously, someone has knotted it tightly with string like you would see on a glass fishing float. They've stuck the original metal cap into a piece of wood and used it as a decanter stopper.  

I wonder if anyone has seen anything like this before? I couldn't say how old it is but it looks old, though the bottle has no pontil. There are letters or something on the base. On the side of it is written in small writing 'W & A Gilbey', also on the side of it is 'W & A Gilbey' in large script writing. That's all i can make out though.

I figured the netting was for decoration and to stop it from getting damaged (someone liked there whisky, lol).

Gosh, i feel silly posting this now, lol.  :24:

[keith]

Didn't Gilbey make gin? just having  G and T at the moment,
                                                                      Keith. (nice bottle,looks like crochet)

[Bernard C]

...   Gosh, i feel silly posting this now, lol.   ...

Why, TC? — surely asking questions is what the GMB is all about!

Anyway, when I saw your pictures, I thought that it was a rather nice homemade hot water bottle, probably WWII when such luxuries would have been unobtainable, but string probably wasn't rationed*.   Indeed, while contemplating the pleasure of warming my cold feet on it, I fell fast asleep, so it must be so.   Q.E.D.

Next question?  

Bernard C.  

* — Fond recollections.   One of my earliest memories of Grandad Cavalot at 24 Cheney Manor Road, Swindon, was being put in charge of string in his garden and allotment.   It was my job to extract every scrap of string from the sweet peas, runner beans, or whatever, undo the knots, wind it up into little hanks, and put it back in the string box.   He also taught me how to tie knots.   Yet another set of skills lost to today's children.

[Ivo]

Ah - that brings back recollections of holidays in Austria, Italy and former Yugoslavia in the early sixties. Lots of bottles were crafted into basket cases. Some were even supplied with them - like Marasquino and Chianti....

[Lustrousstone]

Quite an ingenious and skilful bit of recycling there. Perhaps made for a 70s craft fair.